Spain's high price for NBA lockout

The Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) will have to pay five times more than expected to insure Spain's NBA-based players in this summer's European Championships, which run from August 31 to September 18 in Lithuania. This is one of the numerous consequences of the NBA lockout that began on July 1 after team owners and players failed to reach an agreement over a new collective bargaining contract, a situation spurred primarily by dispute over a salary cap and revenue sharing.

The lockout, which coincides with a similar dispute in the National Football League that began in March, means that contracts have been suspended, wages have gone unpaid and the insurance rights financed by teams for players participating in international tournaments are invalid.

Pau Gasol: "If I return to Europe, Spain would be my first choice"

The release of players to their national sides is regulated by an agreement between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). As a result of this accord, the cost of insuring players against injury while on national duty is reasonably small.

In the case of Spain, it was calculated that the FEB would have to pay 100,000 eurosfor team coach Sergio Scariolo to count on the services of Pau Gasol (LA Lakers), José Manuel Calderón (Toronto Raptors), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Rudy Fernández (Dallas Mavericks), Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves) and, when his application for Spanish naturalization is completed, Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder). After the lockout, the FEB will have to pay 500,000 eurosto ensure the participation of these players.

"We hope the conflict will be resolved swiftly, but above all that it will not affect the national teams playing for Olympic qualification this summer," said FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann.

As well as the European Championships, from which the top two teams qualify for London, there are FIBA tournaments in the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Africa scheduled this summer, with five Olympic berths at stake.

Some federations could find themselves unable to finance the insurance required to secure their NBA stars, such as France, for whom San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker plays. "If there's no insurance I won't play because the Spurs are my priority and it will be hard to take the risk," Parker said.

The lockout leaves players in a conundrum. Many have considered playing outside the orbit of the NBA but that carries the risk that, once the lockout is lifted and in the case of injury, teams can cancel players' contracts. "It's all up in the air," Pau Gasol told TVE. "They should tell us how long the conflict will last so that we can plan our seasons. If I return to Europe, Spain would be my first choice, but not the only one. China, for example, is very strong. The idea of coming back is there, but it's difficult to return for just a few months and unfair on a team that makes the investment. Of course I don't want to spend a year idling. I find it very strange that they may suspend the entire season considering the good moment the NBA is enjoying in general."

In Germany, Uli Hoeness, the president of Bayern Munich, which is trying to strengthen its basketball presence, scotched rumors that the club attempted to lure Dirk Nowitzki, the German star of the Dallas Mavericks' title-winning season.

Other players, such as Europeans Vladimir Radmanovic and Darius Songaila, seem to have elected to follow the lead of Boston Celtics center Nenad Krstic, who has signed for CSKA Moscow.

The NBA players, with their president, the LA Lakers' Derek Fisher at their head, are said to be expecting the conflict to one of large duration.