Nigel Williams Goss signed a 3 year, $2 million contract with Olympiacos last year.
Also, guys who play overseas are usually provided free housing and their salaries are generally tax free. Their teams provide them with airfare to and from the US pre and post season.
Other than that, spot on as always.
Ok douchebag,
First, Nigel Williams-Goss made just 130k his first season in Serbia.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/aug/28/williams-goss-signs-with-professional-team-in-serb/%3famp-content=ampHe won a championship and was named MVP so apparently he earned himself a raise recently. I’m sorry I haven’t kept up with his career abroad.I read one article a year ago and was surprised a player of his caliber was making so little. I have a friend who played D-3 who makes more but is an Italian citizen like his dad who played there (both born in NY).
Second, the tax free thing is comical. Highly rated players have in the past had their taxes paid for them abroad but they were always taxed. I don’t know if you’ve read the news about Europe the last decade +, but it’s a mess. Those perks are gone except for a select handful of players.
Third, Greece taxes its foreign basketball players 45% on any income over 100,000 Euro!
https://dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com/dont_mess_with_taxes/2010/09/greeces-professional-athletes-now-must-pay-their-own-taxes.htmlFourth, there is a modest foreign income exemption for Americans making money abroad, but everything after that is taxed including any benefits provided by a team or employer such as housing, travel, and other perks. Almost no athletes playing abroad file taxes accurately and on time and return home a financial mess.
Fifth, I don’t have good vision and the sun made it harder than usual to read. I thought the topic said Simon. I think a player like Ponds will do just fine in his career. Guys like Simon will have serious problems financially taking that route, but it may be worth it for the personal experiences.
Many of our fans think that anyone can just go to Europe and cash in, but that’s not true. Most of Europe is in terrible shape economically and have raised taxes to absurd levels. Euro teams have reduced the roster spots Americans can fill to 1-2 per team in many leagues, and they are producing more homegrown players than ever.