Von Wafer Signs With Olympiakos Too
I couldn’t make this stuff up. After hearing that Linas Kleiza was signing with Olympiakos, it appears that Von Wafer has decided to join him.
While we thought last summer was the time when a mass exodus of NBA players were going to try and collect their Euros overseas, it appears with the lack of team’s willing to spend dollars, a bunch of free agents left of the market will be cashing in on some frequent flyer miles.
With Wafer, Kleiza and Josh Childress, could Olympiakos legitimately beat NBA squads?
Source: Eurobasket
Note: Sorry about the picture mix-up!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
JBaller says:
With Wafer, Kleiza and Josh Childress, could Olympiakos legitimately beat NBA squads?
No chance, but they’ll beast the Euro-legue, and bring home a trophy, or maybe it’s a statue in Greece! It’s all greek to me.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
JBaller says:
I forgot to say - FIRST!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
quest???? says:
yes…. Today is my bday
August 10th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Yoooo says:
hell no. Who could they beat? It’s not like any of them were ever starters in the league.
But then again, the Nets do suck… So do the Bucks…
Outside of them no way
August 10th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Simon says:
I suppose they could beat an NBA squad. Would they be competitive in the league? No, but eventually they would grab a win.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Tbest says:
Photo looks a little suspect. I’m not sayin; I’m just sayin.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
TL says:
quest????
Happy Birthday!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
c-viz says:
photo is mad suspect!!! hahaha. cash is king though, 4.2 tax free is 7 mill here. no team in the league was giving him 7 mill and the chance to put up 20 shots.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
The Real Deal says:
that is not von wafer. dime, where did you get that picture from? america’s next top model? the dude has the magnum look down
August 10th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Celticsdada says:
that’s not Von !! WTF !!!!!
and yes they could beat the bottom teams like the Grizzlies, Bucks, Knicks…
August 10th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Ansonious says:
No they couldn’t beat ANY NBA team that’s out there, I’m having a hard time thinking they could beat a D-league team. When you think about it a bunch of guys hungry praying to get some PT in the bigs, it’s kind of ridiculous to think that a bunch of guys who spent last season warming the pine could best an NBA squad any day of the week. I’m out like people caring about what NBA player gets dunked on by a kid who’s still in school PEACE!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
karizmatic says:
That is not a picture of Von Wafer…that’s the dude from VH1’s Tool Academy. Celebrity or whatever the heck his dumb name was.
Nah Olympiakos couldn’t beat an NBA team probably but they could give them a run for their money. They should sign AI and Steph!
August 10th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
Hahaha what’s with that photo…
Anyway, Greece is pullin mad heads away from the NBA, even if they don’t ultimately leave they get ‘em to at least consider it.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
kevin says:
No… that isn’t von wafer that is “celebrity” from vh1’s tool academy.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Shiptar says:
sure they could beat teams like wolves, kings, bucks, knicks, etc.
Wafer, Kleiza, Childress are not even the best players on Olympiakos team, there are much better european players there.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Ashlov says:
Von Wafer is a douche bag.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
flavur says:
WTF is up with the photo that’s not Von wafer lmfao that’s that man from tool academy on vh1
August 10th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
David_Brandon says:
i just think its funny how many dudes in here watch that show…
August 10th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Sorry about the picture mix-up!
August 10th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
SWAT says:
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/von_wafer/index.html
this is von wafer. lol dime that had to be a joke. lol tht pic is so suspect john walsh is now on the hunt!! lmao!
August 10th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Tbest says:
@ 18
Word
August 10th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
rell says:
@Dime Mag
Big Baby just resign back to the Celts for a 2 year 6M deal.
August 10th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Jazz says:
Olympiakos couldn’t beat nba-teams… but other euroleague could beat at least half of the nba teams…for example panathinaikos
August 10th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Stemi says:
Greek national team won the dream team some years ago in the semifinal of the worlds championship. So, why couldn’t a mix of Greek, other European and American players win a NBA team?
Nevertheless, Olympiakos is coming for some friendly preseason games with NBA teams this year. We will see…
August 10th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Olympiakos is doing more work than the Nuggets…
August 10th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
BHop2009 says:
Olympiakos could be beat every NBA team under FIBA rules. Just like National teams can beat Team USA under FIBA rules. It would be hard for any Euro league team to beat an NBA team under NBA rules. Just like it would be hard for any National team to beat Team USA under NBA rules. Team USA won by an avg of like 27 points(more than there avg in the 00 and 04 olympics) even though they were playin FIBA rules. They would of won by 40 if it was NBA rules. LOL at FIBA rules. There 3 point line is the same length as the WNBA and shorter than the NCAA. People would be laughing if this was the case in the NBA.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
specialguydurr! says:
so houston has officially thrown in the towel. Welcome to obscurity Ariza! One ring is still better than none. I hope you realize your agent sucks!
August 10th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
doc says:
They would get they asses handed to them by any nba team.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
loc says:
People are bugging,
Im sure they couldn’t beat most NBA teams all the time, but that team is nice enough to seriously give a run to teams like the grizz, knicks, wolves, and bucks. Pretty consistently too i’d say. Three potential (maybe 2) NBA starters, plus as stated above, you have a slew of talented greek and euro players who can easily compete at the NBA level. They’d definitely mess up a few of the weak teams.
August 11th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Bron42 aka Had Springs before Slamball says:
1) its creepy how many guys here watch tool academy or at least know enough about it to point out the cast…now thats suspect
2)Dime, you ask if they could beat a nba team like ANY of those guys were ever stars. Von wafer was in the nba like 5 years before even turning into a 8th man on the rockets. Childress is a 6th man on the HAWKS!! LK is a gunner. If their 3 of the starting 5, even teams like the nets would give them the business.Signing a bunch of role players as stars? what is this, the knicks?
August 11th, 2009 at 2:28 am
Michael says:
What a ridiculous joke most of these comments are. Childress was the 8th best player on Olympiacos last year. These comments here are funny……….of course they could beat NBA teams. Childress was the 8th best player on the club LAST YEAR and they have upgraded their roster this year.
August 11th, 2009 at 3:50 am
AB_40 says:
if you combine their salaries you’ve got a total of 14 mil per season and I bet they can offer 20 a year for one player… nba better watch their backs
August 11th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Korver says:
they already have to beat Panatinaikos which is the reigning Greece champion. given what childress produced last year ( good but not great ) i don’t see the point signing von wafer who for sure doesn’t know anything about the kind of intensity you face in games vs Panathinaikos where every fan in the crowd is a potential murderer …
August 11th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Flip says:
In case youre not aware, NBA teams were beaten quite a few times by European basketball powerhouses during the last offseasons. Keep in mind though that it was the offseason. It’s basically the same as a European soccer team losing to American soccer teams in the offseason - it just doesnt mean a lot.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Frank says:
offseason or not.. the top teams in europe will be able to beat NBA teams on a regular basis.. and it doesn’t really matter that Childress, Wafer and Kleiza were never starters in the league..
most guys keep forgetting that euro-ball is a team-game, not depending on big names…
August 11th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
G says:
Olympiakos can spend all the money the want. Theyre still the second best team in Greece. They better worry about beating PAO before they even think about playing an NBA squad.
Olympiakos = Rabits
GO GREEN!!!GATE 13 BITCHES!!!
August 11th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Diego says:
As I’ve posted many times, Childress was better than Marvin (and I think also Smoove) his last year with the Hawks. Don’t always discount a nonstarter. (See, e.g, Ginnobli, Gordon, Nate, JT, etc, etc.) Chill could give a lot of NBA small forwards/shooting guards buckets. So could Kleiza. And Chill plays D too.
Don’t know about the team’s non-American guys, but I think they could beat at least lower tier NBA team occasionally.
August 11th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Stavros says:
For those that do not remember Olympiakos has players as Papaloukas (maybe the best international playmaker)and Baby-Shaq that helped Greece to upset team USA.
If Olympiakos played with the same squad in NBA, it is possible that could win many teams.
European Basketball, is quite different than NBA. I am not sure that Lakers for instance could win Euroleague that easy.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:30 am
alex(hellas) says:
if you americans knew what defens meens then you ANSTOPABLE…now you are just sitting ducks
August 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Vic says:
Under FIBA rules or under mixed rules there are a few Euroleague teams who can beat NBA teams. It becomes harder under NBA rules. Perhaps if some elite Euroleague teams had some time adapt to the NBA game. Like making an exhibition tour of 10 games, they would be able to beat some teams.
However, Stern is no fool. Whenever he invites top Euroleague teams to play exhibition games in the NBA, he makes sure that it is only under NBA rules and against good NBA squads. He also never gives them time to adapt to the time-zone difference or recover from fatigue. The Euroleague teams have to play two games in as many days.
On the other hand, when the NBA team goes to Europe, they usually play moderate European teams. Some of which don’t play in the Euroleague. Moreover, the rules are mixed.
In the few occasions when the NBA team has played a good Euroleague team under mixed rules, the Euroleague team has won.
So, all things considered. Yes, Euroleague teams can beat NBA teams. But there are only, say 6 or 7 Euroleague teams who are able to do that under consistent basis.
One more thing, childress, kleiza, and von wafer are not the best players in Olympiakos. Get rid of your NBA glasses.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Darkness says:
Hell to the No
September 30th, 2009 at 3:41 am
Panos says:
Hell yes.Not onl they could win but embaress the half of the nba teams.what is basketball?
10 guys runnig up and down.you 4 periods of 15 minutes and you don t play defense at all.Even children could rich the 100 or 120 points.wake up americans,you don t have basketball.You have a show.