Brandon Jennings has decided to play professional basketball in Europe and is no longer an Arizona Wildcat. Jennings will sign with a European-based agent as early as Monday, get an American-based marketing director for sneaker company deals and secure a contract with a European or Israeli team within the next two weeks.
In an unprecedented move, Brandon Jennings will forgo playing in college and instead pursue a professional career in Europe next season before likely entering the 2009 NBA draft. He would have been a NBA Lottery Pick in the 2008 NBA Draft but was prohibited from earning a living due to NBA rules.
Fast forward to the present-day NBA and find a dramatically different league overrun with international talent. Three of the last four MVP award-winners were foreign-born (Nash in 2004-5; 2005-6 and Nowitzki 2006-7). Tim Duncan, born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has four NBA titles. Manu Ginobili (Argentina) and Tony Parker (France) were alongside for three of them. Andrew Bogut (Australia), Andrea Bargnani (Italy), Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria) and Yao Ming (China) were all number one draft picks.