NBA Lockout 2011: Unlike NFL, NBA Needs Its Stars More Than Stars Need the NBA

NBA players, not the league, have all the power in the lockout.

The NFL lockout will end before any games are missed (be it preseason or otherwise). Talks seem to be wrapping up and nobody wants to miss out on the money that is at stake.

In the NFL lockout, the owners hold power over the players. No NFL means no money for the players. Everyone wants the lockout to end, but the players hold little leverage. The NFL may benefit from having stars like Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis, but it doesn't need them to succeed.

Conversely, the ball is in the players' court in the NBA lockout. Stars like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard have the power to single-handedly pack an arena. Stars are far and away the biggest marketing tools for the NBA.

While the NBA needs its stars, the players don't need the league. Deron Williams' agent says the New Jersey Nets point guard will supposedly go to Turkey if the lockout continues, and surely he will make a boatload of cash balling abroad.

Basketball overseas is a huge market. Teams are willing to shell out a ton of cash to get players to go play over there.

There has been speculation that one day a star would go abroad to pursue a chance to make more money.

The lockout has already pushed some to pursue foreign basketball and others will follow suit.

Players can still get paid to play basketball and they get to experience a different culture. The league loses power, since the players don't have to back down.

In essence, this lockout may push NBA talent abroad even past the lockout. According to The New York Times, reports say Williams is set to make between $200,000 and $350,000 a month in Turkey.

Even if stars don't follow suit, those have to be appealing figures for not only the league's sixth men, but also to college players.

We could see more players like Brandon Jennings, who went to get paid to play basketball in Europe instead of playing in college for free.

Players can always go back to school, why not go to Europe and get paid to play before they get into the league? Once players learn just how much cash is out there, they may not be so enticed by the thought of winning an NCAA championship, as they receive absolutely no money for doing so.

Not only could America be missing out on college stars, but depth in the league could be in jeopardy. Players like Lamar Odom, Glen Davis and Jamal Crawford could be heralded as basketball royalty overseas. One would have to think they would at least consider the thought of leaving the NBA, where they are nothing more than glorified role players.

The NBA will want to avoid becoming set up like soccer. Once American-born players start heading to other leagues in other countries, it's never going to stop.

It could make the Olympics more appealing than the NBA Finals. Everyone wants to see the best players on the court and, unless coverage of Euroleague games becomes more readily available, we would be getting robbed of seeing some of the most talented players in the world.

The NBA lockout is a lot more dangerous than the NFL lockout. It's a completely different animal. We haven't heard the last of players going overseas, during the lockout and beyond.