Ben Gordon Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are known to not pay a premium after a basketball player proves himself on and off the court.  Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon won’t sign the club’s one year qualifying offer of $6.4 million, setting the stage for a possible departure from the team, The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

It was no surprise that Ben Gordon turned down a five-year, $50 extension last summer.  Gordon is believed to be seeking about $72 million, which would put the club into luxury tax range.

That sounds like a lot of money for a player to make, but let’s be honest, he is one of the best NBA guards in the league.  You can also comfortably say that the global interest and corporate sponsorship in the NBA is at an all time high, which means market conditions could not be better for Ben Gordon.

So where will Ben Gordon play next year?  Maybe Josh Childress and Brandon Jennings are in his fave 5, or maybe he’s following the NBA slogan, “Basketball without Borders” as he explores the European basketball lifestyle, or maybe he stays close to home.

One thing is for sure, Ben Gordon deserves to be paid fair market value for his services.

For the second consecutive season, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers had the top selling NBA jersey in China. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, members of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, moved into the top five on this year’s list.

KG had the most popular NBA jersey in the U.S. this season, moved up to second this year in China. The Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady ranked third for the second consecutive season. Pierce, The 2008 NBA Finals MVP, whose jersey was not in the top 10 last season moved up to fourth. The Denver Nuggets’ Allen Iverson dropped from second on last year’s list to fifth to round out the top five. China’s Yao Ming from the Houston Rockets, ranked 10th on the list, down from six last year.

The rankings are based on sales from retail stores throughout China for the 2007-08 season. adidas is the official on-court uniform and apparel provider of the NBA.

NBA China merchandise is available in over 30,000 retail locations throughout Greater China, and revenue this year is expected to increase by more than 60 percent. The NBA and adidas have opened 29 branded basketball shops in China since March 2007. The league is now offering NBA broadcasts on 51 television stations and games and programming has surpassed one billion viewers for the second consecutive season.

Kobe Bryant gained the respect of Streetball this past season.  He overcame public scrutiny by working hard and proving his game on the court.  He proved he a team player, he proved that he is the best basketball player in the world and he won back our respect one game at a time.  Hands down, it was the best season of Kobe Bryant’s career.  He won the NBA MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals.

Now, Kobe Bryant is tasked with leading the USA Basketball Team to the Gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Team USA’s head coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “In Kobe we have a great player who wants to represent his country as much as anybody and he’s never had a chance. He’s like a little kid in his enthusiasm to play. Kobe’s presence here makes us more complete.”

Streetball and Basketball reach audiences around the world, especially in Korea.

You can often find people at basketball courts in Seoul wearing NBA jerseys or trying to emulate the moves of their favorite players. Many Koreans watch NBA games on television, while some study NBA highlights and statistics on the Internet.

Korean streetball and basketball fans are expected to flock to NBA Madness Korea, an event designed to promote basketball by featuring a variety of guests, shows and interactive activities from Friday through Sunday at Yongsan iPark Mall in Seoul.

NBA Madness Asia Tour 2008

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar is scheduled to meet fans and put on a basketball clinic to teach skills and share tips on how to become a better player.

Dallas Mavericks Dancers will perform, and Hugo, the New Orleans Hornets’ mascot, will interact with the crowd.

There will also be a series of contests for fans, including a skills challenge, where participants can win prizes with their passing abilities and free-throw shooting, in addition to a slam dunk contest, 3-point shootout and a series of other games.

NBA Madness will offer clinics for children, video games and a chance for fans to compare themselves to life-sized cutouts of NBA players.

This week’s event is part of an NBA Madness Asia Tour that will make its way through the region this summer.

The tour began with a stop in Manila, Philippines, from June 13-July 13.

It will also travel to three cities ― Kaohsiung, Taichung and Taipei ― in Taiwan from Aug. 15-31 as well as Tokyo from Aug. 29-31, Singapore from Sept. 5-7 and Hong Kong from Sept. 12-14.