The EuroLeague MVP Hated The NBA, So He Quit

[@DKM_Sports]

Does signing Vezenkov make Olympiacos serious EuroLeague contenders?

[@TMPOUZI]

Rhetorical question I guess

[@JulianBG]

One remark - the salary in Olympiacos is a net salary, while the other in NBA is gross. You can do the math what are the CA taxes for that amount and come back to me again and tell the audience where he is paid better? ChatGPT: In European basketball, including clubs like Olympiacos, player salaries are typically quoted as net amounts. This means that the salary figures mentioned are what the players receive after taxes have been deducted. In contrast, NBA salaries are usually reported as gross amounts. ChatGPT: Net Salaries NBA Player in California: Gross Salary: $6.6 million Net Salary: Approximately $2.2 million Greek Player in Greece: Net Salary: €4 million

[@Klonopoihmenogidi]

2/3 round MVP's should answer your question.

[@p-square1430]

As a Raptors fan, I was hoping he would have given the organization a chance. However, I totally understand why he wanted to go home.

[@I.am_Groot]

Yeah it makes sense and he will probably enjoy the game more being a big baller instead of a role player. The NBA is REAL and lots of great players in other leagues just don't measure up

[@qhamarii0]

Yea there not the most elite athletes in Europe

[@xavierb9061]

He was bad

[@PatrickMcCawFitnessOfficial]

I'm at least happy he gave up his own salary instead of it counting against the cap

[@mandrak962]

@@I.am_Groot Well, Jokic, Doncic, Wemby...now, before them Divac, Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic, Peja Stojakovic, Pau Gasol, Mark Gasol, Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili... all played and excelled in Europe before coming to the US. They measured up. Luka and Jokic have been two best players in the NBA last 3-4 years. Yo, team USA, so called "Dream Team" has barely beaten Serbia at the Olympiad in Paris in July, by 4 points, mostly due to last minute heroics by Curry. The team loaded with LBJ, Steph, AD, Embiid and the likes. So, just because most US coaches don't know how to use players with different skills set (like Jolic or Luka or Vezenkov), that does not mean that truly tallented players coming from elsewhere will succeed in the league where self-promotion and loud chest-thumping are the way to go.

[@Ivan21bg]

I think he felt a little betrayed. I think the Kings made him believe he will have a bigger role. Keep in mind he held off on going to the NBA and Kings made multiple trips to Europe to convince him. I am basing this on something he said in a Bulgarian interview which was something a long the lines of (it up to the coach, but it just sucks when you are told one thing and something different happens). My guess is the Kings were honest with him after the season and told him they don't have a big role for him, so he asked for a trade, then he got traded to the Raptors where maybe he just didn't want to go to Canada or maybe he just didn't believe he will get enough playing time either. My guess is he just wants to play.

[@williamphillips3035]

The plan was for him to play but he can't be a turnstile on defense, so the Kings had to adjust.

[@sl3848]

It's not like they drafted him and gave him the contract for fun. They clearly wanted him to be a bigger piece, but you have to play your best players in order to win.

[@pjay6746]

He didn't have playing time with the Kings. His defense was basic as well. Mike Brown is known for defense and he's trying to get the Kings at a high level on that end. If Sasha asked for a trade, it makes sense. Had he stayed, he may've gotten playing time, considering Toronto's current injury situation.

[@HALFBREEDMUGEN]

This is the NBA not Europe, he just wasn't good enough.

[@Kermit_T_Frog]

@@HALFBREEDMUGEN The three best players in the NBA are from Europe.

[@УрошУгарак]

the clip you showed for olympiacos fans is actually from a playoff game between crvena zvezda and cska moscow

[@SwishArchives]

The Kings were a good offensive team, which may also be a reason he didn’t get much playing time. They need a defensive presence as well. Great video! Always an inspiration to my new channel

[@Mikewillgetsit]

Yup a good off the bench player

[@pirateslifeforme]

Didn’t help he was injured a quarter of the season

[@illDefine1]

Technically an offensive player should fit on an offensive team. He's just not very good on either side of the ball.

[@rtaparauskas]

It is funny that he signed already contact with euroleague team bigger than in nba. His contract in Olimpiacos is 5year 20mln € after tax, it means 4.4mln dollars per year. In nba his contract is 20mln $ per 3 year. After tax it would be around 3.5mln $/year. So his contract in Olimpiakos is + ~1mln $ greater

[@emilfrederiksen.1622]

NBA game is completely different from Euro league. Euro league is about teamwork and basketball fundamentals. While the NBA is more geared towards fast paced offenses and athleticism. Thats why you see past their prime NBA guys struggle in Europe and past their prime or in their prime Euro league players struggle in the NBA.

[@Aventsdor]

Idk the Celtics, Pacers, Mavs, and wolves were pretty balanced and teamwork oriented to me. I don’t know what you consider fundamental. I will say All though they were pretty fast paced

[@oneloneclone4808]

massive generalization

[@mrboast2826]

​​@@Aventsdor Timberwolves seriously...They aren't pretty balanced when your shooting guard didn't do dirty job...In Europe shooting guard like Antony Edward for sure get benched for being inactive (I am talking about workrate not talent)

[@waff6ix]

💯🎯

[@Aventsdor]

@@mrboast2826 Mike Connelly didn’t do dirty work? I feel like he did honestly he does all the little things. And he actually plays defense. Anthony Edward is their shooting gaurd. And while I agree yes, he does probably less dirty work he’s still one of the only star players to play defense

[@j.brendenstookey3437]

The real reason the Kings could not afford to put him on the court was that he was a liability on defense. Teams would’ve picked on that matchup possession after possession.

[@onlyfacts3178]

thats a lie..defence is a lie...stop lying

[@firstlast8731]

Exactly. He had no lateral movement on defense, so other teams exploited that, and scored at will against him.

[@UnknownEJP]

he actually wasnt that bad on defense. he had quick hands and good positioning. It was his shot that was off most of the year

[@BelieverStarcraft]

Nah bro ur wrong

[@Arponare]

7:50 That's not Masai Ujiri mate. Ujiri is a black dude.

[@blandiness]

Bobby Webster lol

[@jamalmartin9148]

WTF 😂😂😂

[@koophuisN]

you can mention someone while showing a picture of someone else.

[@ClareAmel]

@@koophuisNThey definitely made a mistake. Masai Ujiri isn’t even the GM of the Raptors, he’s the President. The video shows the actual GM, Bobby Webster. But their script incorrectly says the GM is Ujiri. No matter how you slice it, they made a mistake.

[@kingdongo4388]

Lmaooo 😂😂😂

[@kiros75]

You are not correct about his salary. 4m/year is after taxes in Olympiakos. In the NBA 6,6m/year was without taxes. Actually he is getting more money in his current contract. Also his contract is in euro which is a bit more dollars.

[@mdarrenu]

also, don't they play only 50 games per year?

[@kiros75]

@@mdarrenu Yeah correct but they also play in their local leagues. Last year Olympiacos played 82 games in total. Let alone the fact that every game matters in Euroleague not like the regular season in the NBA.

[@yiannispalamas1307]

​@@mdarrenuEvery game in Euroleague has the intensity of finals. No player will be out just for being tired..

[@venelinbojilov8419]

And Greece borders his own Bulgaria! It is a few hundred km. from his home and family. He can visit them every week if he wants! USA/Canada are over 10000....

[@jeffersonbrown4750]

Euros are worth alot more are they not?

[@chris-nq5nc]

When Vassilis Spanoulis was on Houston van dummy treated him like a rookie and went on to be Euro league mvp possibly back 2 back

[@jaytorr6701]

Sure. But Spanoulis plays no defense and he is going against the most athletic people in the world, especially in the guard position. He is also only 6-2. They would go off 40+ points against him.

[@simonhollis5256]

As a result, Spanoulis is a legend of basketball, and no one will remember Van Gundy ever existed

[@artoro8]

@@simonhollis5256lmao

[@hunggiang1475]

He suck, believing he’s better than TMac.

[@innosanto]

Spanoulis was 22 years old so was more logical to treat him as a rookie. He reached his top level around 5 years after returning from the NBA. Vezenkov went to NBA after being MVP. But what is common with the two players is that Spanoulis asked for a trade and went to Spurs and then asked to be released similar to Vezenkov, however Spanoulis cited other reasons to mention to be released, and he was traded to Popovic Spurs which were NBA contenders.

[@leecruz1086]

Who held him against his will? He was under contract that he’s required to complete. The raptors wanted him, Vezenkov didn’t what them. He was the diva in this story. When he got traded rumors immediately started floating that he signed a deal with the Euroleague. If anything, the raptors lost here because they traded for the guy they wanted to have but the player is acting out because surprise, NBA players are better than players in euroleague and he didn’t expect to be a bench player.

[@protobazz2]

Exactly this ☝️

[@sac9162]

Yeah why are people acting like he wasn’t acting like a lil bih and throwing a fit 😂

[@TMPOUZI]

He wanted to stay in the nba, but such a bad team like the Raptors didn't give him a number or a guaranteed role in the roster after their initial discussions. I think anyone in his position would choose Europe, where he almost has a near legend status already

[@leecruz1086]

@@TMPOUZI wouldn’t u think he’d get much less roles on a “good” team? Imagine if he was in Boston, would he get more opportunities to play? No. A bad team is an ideal place for players looking for a place in the league.

[@mikeyjames]

@@TMPOUZI you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Sasha wanted to leave the NBA even before he was traded to the raptors and Kings fans know this. This is why the Kings got rid of him. They didn’t want to deal with the issue of him wanting to go back to Europe and they likely believed they would have to pay him in a buyout so they traded the problem away to the Raptors. The problem with Sasha not wanting to stay in the NBA is likely ego related. He was a massive star in Europe, the MVP, the Jokic of the Euro league and he likely told himself he’s going to be like Luka Doncic and Jokic in the NBA but he simply just could cut it in the MBA. I believe his age was a factor and he started slowing down and knew he couldn’t cut it in the NBA so he wanted leave and go back to where he was a superstar.

[@raybandzz3582]

As a Kings fan I had high hopes for Sasha but his defense is actually unplayable and his shot is inconsistent without him being apart of the game plan. Euro League is a lot more team oriented where as NBA will find the weak target and isolate it all night.

[@USandGlobal]

Nah nba is far more team oriented but this guy simply couldn’t compete with the best players in the world 😂

[@Mrdonjuliothewicked]

I remember Kings fans were saying this signing was gonna turn them into title contenders lol. What a time to be alive.

[@0ddjobbb]

No you don't

[@Mrdonjuliothewicked]

@@0ddjobbb buddy it was quite literally a year ago.

[@V71EXTER]

​@@MrdonjuliothewickedKings have been bad since 1956😂

[@hamiham32]

​@@V71EXTERthey were good for like 3 years in the early 2000s. Give them that at least

[@yiannispalamas1307]

His case is exactly like Spanoulis' one. At his second year he had been traded to Spurs (if my mem6is ok). There he could have a chance. But he was yotally disappointed, he mussed playing. So he cane back to Europe. What also they have in common, Sasha and Vassilis, is that they bith came back for the same team, Olympiakos. (personally not a fan)

[@iMusicShuffle]

Damn I want this guy on the Raptors. Sorry to see him go but hope he’s happy

[@vlada]

Bjelica came to NBA and was misused by Wolves for 3yrs who wanted him to play a power 4 game. After that he backed out of a Sixers deal and was flying to europe when Kings convinced him to sign. Dave Joerger used his strong points like passing, shooting, iq, playmaking in a totally different way than Minny did. So the Saša thing isnt surprising. Had he gone to SA or Denver it might have been different because just like with Joerger, the coach makes a difference.

[@Iselas181]

We raptor fans really wanted this guy, the team did not hold him hostage, the team tried to work out a deal to see if he would be willing to play in the NBA again. He chose to fly to the EU instead of Canada, he chose to go back to the Euroleague instead of a starters role in Toronto. Toronto even had a Euro style coach, Sasha is a great player but he did not succeed in the NBA.

[@apples874]

He's too good for Raptors and NBA. Raptors wouldn't know what to do with a player of his talent.

[@nalby8312]

@@apples874 with his 5 pts 3 rb a game? that talent?

[@chriskrak5396]

wow i saw a great mistake in your logic about money. in olympiacos is 4 mil/year clearly with no taxes. well 3,7 is the right number the others are bonus. the 6,6 mil $ in toronto with the biggest taxes in NBA would be less than 3 mil € / year. So he even get more money with his return. basics dude...

[@Петърчо]

Not to mention that Greece is *really* close. You can get from Greece to anywhere in Bulgaria in terms of hours of driving.

[@MichelePonte]

I'm happy he can be happy again. Most NBA teams wouldn’t know how to use him.

[@mr.sinjin-smyth]

More like NO NBA team knows how to use him.

[@Saberking875]

True if the kings can’t, no one can

[@sfdko3291]

@@mr.sinjin-smyth they know how to use him, but to use him would require them to change everything for ONE player

[@MDAA313]

@@MichelePonte He was not a good athlete

[@kingdongo4388]

@@Saberking875the Queens SUCK and alway have been

[@sllaveq]

I know it's basketball but why no one considers Vezenkov (and many others) an actual humans with personal life. Returning to Greece provided him not only with more money, but living again with his girlfriend and being close to Bulgaria where his family lives. In Europe he will be the of the main characters again, the fans love him, in Greece he is at home. I don't know if his mindset is of a huge star who desires to be the best and show NBA he is a great player, but by listening to his interviews in both greek and bulgarian I'm left with the impression he is a humble guy who just wants to play and live a good life. He gets both in Europe.

[@user-cr9of2tn5q]

Correct me if I’m reading your comment wrong, but you can still be humble whilst wanting to be considered a great player that is able to excel in any league

[@sllaveq]

@@user-cr9of2tn5q sure, sure, I was speaking about the dream usually players have to be superstars particularly in the NBA. My point is he chose his star status in Europe, good money, family and girlfriend over chasing that dream.

[@olaPRASINAgiatre]

Games are DIFFERENT! Euroleague is way different game than NBA. Both high quality though

[@4olufade]

Taxes in California and Toronto are two highest of the four worst, so the 4 million dollars was probably more than the 7 million dollars he was making

[@nathan2000100]

I'm a big Kings fan, and we all wanted to see Sasha succeed. He had some good moments and while the Kings didn't use him well, he did not play that great and didn't fit in well. It sucks it didn't work out

[@Klonopoihmenogidi]

Best decision a player of his calibre could ever take. Yesterday he had 22 points in 20 minutes.Most likely again the round MVP of Eurolegue. His name is synonymous to scoring. Instead of staying in the bench for teams who can not utilize him,he got under the flag of a real coach and a great team.The results are already visible.

[@torunkang]

It is funny how he respects neither his commitment nor the contract, and you're making it sounds like he is the victim. You take a gamble on yourself, and if it works out, excellent. If it does not, well, you honour what you signed up for. This is a total lack of professionalism and the Greek fans support this? Well, probably tells you why the country is the way it is. Either way, he made a choice of trading honour and dignity for more money and the enjoyment out of playing ball, I hope he does well, but it's going to be a black mark on him forever.

[@BeerAndJoints]

for real, Iam Bulgarian but this was a reaaaaaaally weak move. I woundnt be mad at all if he at least tried playing for Toronto for 1 season and then if it didnt work out he could return to Olympiacos. Olympiacos think he is Michael Jordan, they would sign Vezenkov on a multi-year deal even when he is 40, no NBA team is ever gonna sign him again after he left like that...Iam sure he would regret his desecion later on, everyone is telling him he will, but apperantly he is not good at listening to his countryman......He was the 1st Bulgarian to play in the NBA in the last 38 years...the disspointment for us Bulgarian basketball fans is just immesurable...

[@alx_gr1]

He took a gamble but was given no chance. He is gonna lose his best years as a pro sitting on the bench?? And btw, please enlighten us about Greece, you seem to know so much.

[@TMPOUZI]

@@BeerAndJoints phack the NBA, it's just a circus, you're not in the MJ years anymore

[@gloup81]

in the meantime, Sasha in the new season's 3 first Euroleague games clocks 16.7ppg and 7.3rbs, acting like a cheat code for his team

[@GSino]

Nice video Man! Greetings from Greece

[@brenddgv]

The way he's saying "in the NBA" though 😂

[@Saulgoodmanman]

Wanted him to work in sac so badly but sahsas attitude through this disappoints me

[@sac9162]

Yeah I was hoping we kept him but his attitude made me not gaf about him

[@simonhollis5256]

Blame that incompetent Mike Brown. Couldn't get a title contending team to the playoffs.

[@TMPOUZI]

Get rid off Mike Brown and many even worse players than Vezenkov will shine on. This guy is a team wrecker

[@itz_gl1tch775]

​@simonhollis5256 you call a young team with 0 depth and playoff experience a contender? mike brown ended the drought

[@itz_gl1tch775]

​@@TMPOUZItf are you even talking about

[@fz0r]

Quit ? He went to his favorite team olympiakos , a European powerhouse in basketball . My team panathinaikos offered him a lot of money but he choose olympiakos.

[@charalampossken6332]

He came to olympiakos because it is his favorite team yes but nba teams don't even know how to use a powerhouse like him.

[@raphytejadax2]

@@charalampossken6332 🤦🏽‍♂️ you’re actually mental if you think nba coaches can’t figure out how to get a spot up shooter open lol. the issue is he can’t defend a 5th grader and the NBA has the most athletic freaks on Earth. The reason some Euro players can’t excel in the NBA game is because they are just slow in comparison. The reason some NBA players can’t cut it in Europe is because they lack basketball IQ and selflessness.

[@ChrisFilippJohnson]

You lost a great shooter there in Toronto guys, but you earned many Toronto fans in Greece! ❤

[@paulocampos6052]

Vote for Scottie for NBA all star :)

[@chriskief7156]

Held hostage by the raptors?? Brother, tell us your a casual fan without actually saying it.

[@kedrprao]

KZbinrs can get it wrong sometimes. That don't mean they are casuals.

[@chriskief7156]

@@kedrprao Bro also thought Bobby Marks was Masai ujiri 7:50 ... He absolutely is a casual

[@kedrprao]

@@chriskief7156 That's Bobby Webster; not Bobby Marks. I guess your stupid comment makes you a casual too huh...? lol

[@1vaultdweller]

@@kedrprao Most euroleague fanboys are casuals.

[@onlyfacts3178]

@@1vaultdweller ??? I doubt that since non americans are way smarter than americans who have low IQs and most dont even know basketball rules..

[@Kooper785]

7:52 who tf is that guy

[@Woody13woodpecker]

It's not only the playing itself, is the whole lifestyle.

[@JR-mo8os]

The guy is already 29, it wasn't about playing in Europe, it was about who could pay the most guaranteed money. In the NBA, he would have had an uphill battle to prove himself and play some defense to get another contract. In Europe, he had nothing to prove, doesn't have to play defense and gets five years guaranteed. Easy decision.

[@fuhgettaboudit]

Doesn't have to play defense??

[@qq7647]

@@fuhgettaboudit Indeed, the dude is oblivious....agahagaaggha !

[@CorneliusTheGoat]

@fuhgettaboudit doesnt have to play NBA type defense. He is a bad defender in the NBA he can get away with it in europe because help defense is easier/faster.

[@fuhgettaboudit]

@@CorneliusTheGoat I get that he's not a good 1v1 defender, and the rules in Euroleague help hide his weaknesses. But "doesn't have to play defense" is a little hyperbolic imo

[@CorneliusTheGoat]

@@fuhgettaboudit i think he meant "doesnt have to play defense(NBA defense)" but if hes talking in general then yea 100 percent

[@MeRacko]

He agreed cuz he know he can't cut it in NBA and you can se it in his eyes

[@vengeancejustice5329]

He don't quit . He escape .

[@ivandragomiloff2356]

He couldn’t play defense at the NBA level, that was the problem. The shooting, the passing, the Basketball IQ were mostly there, but his defense was atrocious. He was a matador. With his size, and strength, you would see him as a more positional defender. But he is slow of foot. Couldn’t switch. Great player for Europe, game didn’t translate to NBA.

[@thomasarnal]

'defense at the NBA level' hahaha good one sir! Defense? In the NBA? lol

[@ivandragomiloff2356]

@ @ You know, you are right…Sasha was the worst defender in the NBA, in a league that doesn’t play defense. He was slower then a snail, had feet made of cement, and was the ultimate matador, letting smaller players roam around him with impunity!

[@dthomscappello]

I watched almost every game he was in and his game only works if a) everyone does a bunch of cuts for him, absurd when you're not even the number 3 option, and b) you're cool with giving up someone exploiting him in a pick n roll on the other end.

[@samrivera8088]

Teodosic is a horrible example. He was like 40 when he came over. Had he been in his prime, we would've seen a different player

[@DKM_Sports]

you know that over there they won’t consider that though

[@byronsotirispetrakis9470]

as in greek says "it is better to be number one in coutryside than to be the last in town !!!"

[@dodobobo9892]

here from mj2kallday thanks for helping the brodi. quickest sub

[@vlad-dracul]

Mike Brown couldn't figure out how to use a player like him the right way. Vezenkov wants to play. He is currently the leader in the Еuroleague performance index rating stat.

[@zachary261]

It really depends on the coach. Had Sasha played under coach Pop or Kerr, he might have more opportunities to showcase his skills.

[@jtbucketsshorts2213]

His game doesn’t really fit the league . As a role player in todays game you really have to be able to guard multiple positions, have some sort of athleticism or be a great rebounder to get minutes. The era of “3 and no D” guys like Bertans, Joe Harris and Duncan Robinson is over

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

A handful of stars is not a takeover. This guy quit because he didn't want to challenge himself. Most NBA fans don't even know who he is and most never will.

[@thunderking8925]

😂...

[@miljanmatovic880]

Olympiacos fans are great but you are showing even better ones in your video - this is Red Star Belgrade (as witnessed by their logo at center of the court)

[@dimitrioskyriakou2267]

For a Eurolegue MVP not playing is mentally challenging the least. Being a rookie in the NBA after being in the top of Europe is very hard. Examples that followed the same trajectory from the same league are Spanoulis and Papanikolaou.

[@rowannixon3180]

lol he didn't "hate the nba" he "failed in the nba." Glad I could fix it.

[@V71EXTER]

What did you fix?😂😂😂

[@thunderking8925]

Stop talking please.

As a Dallas fan, I believe he could have fit well in Dallas. The players around Luka always get open shots. But not being able to defend would be a challenge, as Luka is also not a great defender. A 5 year deal for a 29 year old player is had to say no. He will be a millionaire ready to retire.

[@erikscream]

That’s hella funny cuz I remember you were hella meat riding him talkin bout he bout to be a sniper n this n that to end up like this 😂

[@DKM_Sports]

he is a sniper but if you’ve ever hooped you’ll know when ur warming the bench and out of rhythm it’s hard to come for limited minutes and shoot a high percentage

[@MrOctober44]

No shock there. Funny thing was Kings fans were so upset that he was traded when he clearly wanted to go home.

[@Motk0]

It was more complicated than it seems. His girlfriend is in Greece, his whole family is here and at the very end he didn't feel appreciated at the NBA. In long term I think that it's a loss to the player Vezenkov and his influences to the youngsters but at the very same time it's a huge win for the human Vezenkov, Oly and Bulgarian national team.

[@I.am_Groot]

Dude got some nice paychecks in the NBA now he getting paid to play closer to home. Nothing to see here.. Hope SV finds his happy place

[@alx_gr1]

Not closer to home, at home. Sasha has Bulgarian parents but was born in Cyprus and raised in Greece.

[@I.am_Groot]

@@alx_gr1 So like I said closet to home 😎

[@giannismallios1808]

Olympiacos Vs Panathinaikos..this is the most nicer game than all euroleage games.

[@Sedan1001]

First he hoped to earn the big NBA Millions ....and now He hates the NBA bullshit

[@baldsportsfan9368]

He sucked in the NBA. If he was that good he would still be in the league.

[@blueodum]

The guy signed a 3-year contract and begged out after one year - that shows you the character of the guy.

[@simonhollis5256]

Who did he beg? They traded him after not giving him a chance

[@blueodum]

@@simonhollis5256 He begged the Raptors for his release.

[@TMPOUZI]

@@blueodum And he did fine, because they didn't give him a clear role and even a jersey number after discussions, considering Torondo is a bad team. Who'd wanna stay there in the winter anyway

[@blueodum]

@@TMPOUZI You sign a contract - you live by it. Teams are not allowed to say - you know we signed you to a 3-year deal, but you suck so we are not going to pay you the last years.

[@TMPOUZI]

@@blueodum Apparently an nba contract can be broken, as it happened in this case. It's called a buy-out. No wrong in this

[@UserNoFound-kr6ts]

Kostas sloukas missing the shot to buzzer biter 😂😂😂

[@BBallRambling]

Any promising, but not yet realized player who goes to the Kings is sabotaging their career. They have a massive track record of wasting talented players. Their literal only success story over the past decade was De’Aron Fox and what has he even accomplished really? I won’t give any names for privacy sake, but there are guys who chose to go overseas to avoid being forced the to sit the bench on the Kings. American talent.

[@reidb6327]

He just sucked he was slow and unathletic and lost on the court and the one time he started to play good he got injured for the second time

[@emilfrederiksen.1622]

Sabonis is good too

[@BBallRambling]

@@emilfrederiksen.1622 Sacramento didn’t make Sabonis into what he is, Indiana did. My point is they have signed good players, but haven’t made any. They have a long list of draft busts and have seen good young players come and go, only to play well somewhere else.

[@BBallRambling]

@@reidb6327 Plenty of guys aren’t great defenders. He wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t get on the court.

[@emilfrederiksen.1622]

@@BBallRambling You are right Sacremento has been awful in developing talent and has picked tons of bust over the last 15 years or so.

[@JulianBG]

Regarding, the buyout and leaving NBA! That doesn't mean he cannot come back at any time! Although it is unlikely with that 20mil NET / 5 years deal, but in theory it is possible, because now he is a free agent and he can sign whomever he wants.

[@asadspranks4745]

Europe is always overrated, they are far below than American ways to make things done.

[@bronsonbamnallen1633]

I thought he might give Toronto a chance. Weird.

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

Imagine being the MVP to a Zero... Europe has loads to improve on on before EVER being able to take on Team USA

[@ericperron]

Thought he would be a superstar after one year without working. Had a chance to compete in TO

[@watchfusion]

Bjelica won a ring with golden state.

[@MrGiovanniOSFP]

The contracts in Europe are after tax.

[@Blvkwvlf]

We're going to miss his half inch vertical

[@smiffm428]

People have to make career decisions which are best for them. Good for him.

[@jsho3]

As a Kings fan, his playing time was limited by injury and mostly by lack of defense. Furthermore, he just didn't seem like he had the mental toughness to work through the hurdles required to get on the floor (he seemed to just expect a starting spot). He seemed a little too soft , a little too proud and easily hurt. Even at a preseason event, he flatly refused to do the traditional rookie dance. Kind of trivial but telling in how he expected to be treated. I know he's a good player and could have been great for the Kings, but I don't think he was willing to go through the process unfortunately.

[@everyonesguy7466]

As a raptors fan I agree with the waivers choice

[@marcomcdowell8861]

Literally, the only Euro players to come directly to the NBA and be game ready have been Doncic and Arvydas Sabonis. Even talents like Petrovic, Divac, Hedo, Nowitzki, Marciulionis, Peja, Jokic and Giannis needed time to develop. They stuck it out and became stars. If this guy is that nice, he should've seamlessly transitioned. The NBA doesn't bias against good talent, every coach is going to use a guy who can help them keep their job. What I see is a guy who does the same thing that 80% of NBA players do, shoot. As stated, he lacked defensively. Even in a lazy NBA, you gotta at least be able to force a guy to help. If you get blown by consistently, your scoring is negated by you inability to defend, even with token resistance. I didn't see a single Euro highlight of him clamping up, defensive rebounding or deflecting. It was him shooting and dunking.

[@innosanto]

And what they have in common? They have either dribble or volume or both, so they dont need to develop the speed , dribble, muscles and jump to play , which is something other players are to develop.

[@justmyopinion8395]

Take any NBA mvp, put him in the Euroleague and he would still be a star.

[@ShivamSharma-5622]

Not Westbrook

[@Commenting800]

This guy couldn’t guard a parked car. Couldn’t dribble to save his life. Hes a cerebral shooter, but couldn’t survive amongst the best athletes in the world

[@mikes8863]

What i got from this video. Europeans when the going gets tough lets jump ship for an easier path lol

[@greggwade]

I’m not sure that it was a “or nightmare” for the raptors. Sasha said his intentions and the raptors worked out a deal to make it happen without the cap hit. No one cared what Olympiakos fans thought.

[@TMPOUZI]

We sure gave them hell in their social media, they admitted it. This would have continued even stronger for 2 whole years if Torondo hadn't waived him. Anyway now the nightmare is over

[@BeardedRealm]

Its cause he sucked and didnt get minutes in the nba..

[@V71EXTER]

Cause he didnt get his chance.

[@BeardedRealm]

@@V71EXTER yes. No minutes means no playing chance agreed

[@kketaren]

Eliminated by late game winner 2 years in a row is crazy 😭

[@RoBrinks]

I hate players who give up smh . He’s only one season in…

[@TMPOUZI]

He's 29, not 21. He got disrespected by Mike Brown, who is clearly a bad coach. He did the right thing. He has to win the Euroleague title, which is a way more important thing than stay for a couple of years in the NBA in a bad team averaging 10ppg. Plus the euro team offered him a much better contract. You'd quit too

[@RoBrinks]

@@TMPOUZI I def WOULD NOT quit. Speak for yourself. Sounds like he wanted to go back to dominate lesser talent instead of figuring it out in the nba . He was a 29 year old ROOKIE. He still had to learn the ins and outs of the nba game on top of the fact that he wasn’t performing better than the other options at his position . Mike brown coached the kings to one of the top offenses over the past few seasons so if he can’t be successful that’s a him problem . If he can’t out perform trey Lyles then maybe he deserves to be overseas. Raptors would’ve been a way better situation for them tho and they clearly respect their overseas talent . If he would’ve played good there he would’ve got minutes and a chance to be the star he wanted to be.

[@TMPOUZI]

@@RoBrinks Nah in their discussions Torondo didn't give him a clear role, not even a jersey number. He is a near legend in Euroleague which is always rising and euroleague teams can beat teams like Torondo. So it's an undeniably justified decision. Phack this kind of nba. You can keep watching LeBron dominating in his 40's and nba "superstars" making gangster vlogs waiving guns. Vezzy is coming to play real basketball in a contender team

[@purpl3spartan]

Coach of the year Mike brown is definitely a bad coach guys. It’s definitely not the guy who was slow footed and getting constantly targeted on defense with inconsistent shooting who’s at fault here.

[@TMPOUZI]

@@purpl3spartan he's a bad coach with limited plays. Such a roster and not even in the play-offs. He was ok on defence though, he just got too many DNPs and 5's on court for no reason at all

[@matthewyip8695]

Kings fan here. Sasha was not good defensively at all in a year where coach Brown was adamant about defense priority. Context. They cut huerter's playing time in half or more for his defense play. He was 'hurt' a lot and garnered a bunch of dnp. --- Toronto was a good trade because they had plans for him and Davion ... Proof...they gave Davion the keys the first 8 games...but he was limited .. But he got a shot

[@filipmaric5951]

7:26 is Red Star Belgrade fans

[@KarlikJones737]

He couldn't guard himself 😅

[@ragoflex]

That’s not Masai Ujuri homie lol

[@TechnoTanuki]

He was serviceable in the NBA imo

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

European needs to understand how American NBA does relay on athletes to play defense vs teamwork.

[@AlanSmith88888]

Gotta play defence in the nba.

[@隠れた]

Just some euro guy over hyping a euro nba bust

[@smol9832]

He played good when he was playing in sacramento

[@itz_gl1tch775]

not really dude couldnt play defense and all he could do was shoot

[@reypaolosalino3165]

Him and Vasilej Micic should'v played together in Charlotte

[@Premium_Water]

Why play em together LOL.

[@ΝικοςΝικολης-λ7κ]

Σασσα αλανι για παντα στο λιμανι..❤

[@BenchOnaQUEST]

Great video, well made. Very informative. Props, much respect! Thanks for putting it together. Just an honest question: Where is the narrator from? What accent is that? South African or British (Scottish, Welsh, Gaelic)? Just curious as it sounds very unique, and unlike any accent I've heard before... Thanks. @DKM

[@DKM_Sports]

Scotland

[@DimitarVankov]

NBA and Euro League are the same sport but two different games. Players in EL struggle in NBA, and NBA players would struggle in EL. NBA requires great athletism. EL is technically demanding. Sasha is destined for greatness in EL, but NBA is not his game. I hope he enjoys his return.

[@USandGlobal]

Lmao no NBA players are simply better 😂 nba players that go to euro league are usually a lot older and put up good numbers

[@RigelZM]

wasted opportunity it is hard to go to NBA than going back to euro even pat beverly get a contract again in euro. he must not like playing or preparing for a yr. the NBA has so many games compare to euro

[@splawik44]

In my opinion it was a mistake of the coach of Sacramento - he didn’t take the opportunity whichbhe had in his hands and also the results of Sacramento were bad. Vezenkov deserved to play more and webwould carry plenty of points

[@hudgatling8624]

It's no way a player can be one dimensional in today's NBA. Shooting while taking few dribbles is not impressive. It means someone is creating shots for you....

[@Tetrahedragon2]

It wasn’t a pr nightmare nor did the raptors really give a crap about keeping him.

[@bestoflui]

He just wasn’t good enough simple

[@TomStansfield]

Worst take of all time 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@itz_gl1tch775]

​@@TomStansfieldcant play defense, cant dribble, doesnt drive in. yeah he wasnt very good

[@TomStansfield]

@@itz_gl1tch775 he can’t do any of that, yet he’s a EuroLeague MVP ? Do you understand how stupid you sound.

[@V71EXTER]

​​@@itz_gl1tch775He has to adapt to the country. He comes for the first time to the US. Its a massive new country. Mike Brown didnt know how to use him.

[@USandGlobal]

@@TomStansfieldnope great take

[@zealazax6287]

The euro league is better than toxic NBA or WNBA. The way the games are reffed is destroying the leagues.

[@rapsilog4111]

It’s just about fit. He’s one of the smartest player in the world, but in the NBA, it’s not gonna be enough with players are more athletic and tempo based basketball. While in europe, it’s easy to clogged lanes, slower but calculated pace and arc is much closer. More physical, less athleticism esp. bigman, so floaters/layups are a lot easier Plus, he’s already a proven in Europe, in NBA he has to prove himself all over again.