A week ago, word leaked out that some people might be considering contracting a couple of teams in the NBA. It was a common sense solution (or partial solution) to a lot of the NBA's issues. But it seems like common sense is back out the window as David Stern has reiterated his desire to expand to Europe and now says that it is going to happen in ten years. Stern really needs to realize that the NBA is falling apart before his eyes... or rather, behind his back as he stares across the Atlantic.

The NBA made great strides in the 80's and 90's but it's been sinking in the 21st Century. Stern seems to be buying his own bullshit that the player salaries are the problem for NBA franchises. The product just isn't as good as it used to be and fans are less and less likely to come out and pay the rising price to see a diminishing product. Also, with the end of the Great Sneaker Wars of the 80's and early 90's, so came the end to the strongest promotion of individual NBA players. Derrick Rose got a new commercial that's airing incessantly but I don't think many people noticed Rose as much as the Dr. Ken from The Hangover and Knocked Up. That ad did more for his stature than Derrick's.

Stern also must not have paid attention to this offseason. Players now realize that this is a business and they'll go where they want, even taking less money to do so. You really think anyone is going to sign to play in the Euro-division? European teams go to great lengths to help young American players who make the leap; is the NBA going to move families overseas and help younger brothers get on a team? The main thing that the NBA has over the Euro teams (for most American talents) is the location and the competition; watering down the latter and sending people out of the country isn't going to help matters. And let's not get into the tax issues for players who are stuck in London or other tax heavy countries.

And can you imagine the issues if the NBA Finals was LA Lakers vs. Venice Canalers? Nevermind the travel, Italy is 9 hours ahead of the US; the games would have to be on tape delay or something.

David Stern should be credit for getting the NBA to prominence but it's a prominence that they once had and are quickly losing. Many of Stern's latest ventures - expansion (especially to Canada), the D-League, the WNBA - are all middling to failing. The WNBA is, at best, a break even proposition. Remember the Vancouver Grizzlies? Great players aren't signing to Toronto (and even OK players often refuse trades there) and it's only going to be worse if they have to cross an ocean and not just a border. Do people even remember that the D-league exists? (And it still makes ZERO sense to put that in the South.)

Stern did a great job but the NBA needs to look at its current product and fix it before they can start thinking about expanding again.