Another NBA Player Lost to Europe

Hold the phone!  Stop the presses! 

The NBA has lost another player to Europe.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's true.  Shawn Kemp is going to Italy.

Wait...

Honestly?  'Is this guy serious?' you're asking.

As serious as can be, perhaps as serious as the heart attack Mr. Kemp is likely to succumb to in his old age.

This is no crack at elderly people mind you.  I am a fan of the elder generations, but let's be honest, no one's grandma is looking at running a basketball floor in Europe 15 minutes a game.  Heaven help him if Kemp decides to dunk.

Amid the fears of losing a great player to the value of the Euro, we lose another no name player. 

Sure Kemp's name radiated around the league in the '90's, but any more he is a has-been.

Kemp joins the likes of Josh Childress, Carlos Delfino, and Earl Boykins as players who have packed an overnight bag and crossed the mighty Atlantic.

The problem, though, is that none of these players were ever going to contribute on a level any higher than a role player or bench player.  They left in search of a staring role and found it in an inferior league.

Shawn Kemp was a disappointment in his prime.   Coming far short of expectations then, I don't understand the attraction to the 38 year old in Italy.

After several attempts at returning to the glory of his NBA days, perhaps Shawn Kemp has accepted that his only chance at earning a living with a basketball in his hand may have to come in the overlooked Euro league.

Hey, at least the guy is getting paid.