Brian Shaw on Europe (Part 3)

Shaw: Loved playing in Italy 

On the risks of going overseas:

B.S.: "You have to get with a reputable team. There are some teams in different countries that are notorious for withholding guys’ money if they aren’t satisfied with their play.

"But you have to make sure you’re with a reputable organization and get your money situation squared away before you commit to going over there. Things like getting a lot of money up front and making sure it gets wired into your account by a certain date each month, and if not you have an option to leave.”

On his general experience in Italy:

B.S.: "Some guys it wouldn’t be good for. If you’re in a little tiny city in Northern Italy or way down south in Southern Italy, where the population isn’t that much and you’re coming from a big city and used to a lot of action, it might not be the thing for you.

"That’s one thing that factored in for me: I was in Rome. The food was great, the weather was great, the people were nice, they spoke English. There was a lot of culture and history I was able to take advantage of as well.

"And then my parents, friends and schoolmates, relatives, they all got a chance to come over and experience a part of the world they probably wouldn’t have gotten a chance to experience. …

"And the money was better. And the majority of it is tax-free, on top of it. What did Childress sign for, $7 million a year? That equates to about $11 million a year when you talk about the (strength of the) Euro and the tax situation."

On whether playing in Italy helped or hurt him as a player:

B.S.: "It’s different now. Twenty years ago the world hadn’t caught up. It was good for me because in Boston I didn’t have to score. I was mainly a distributor. But I had to score over there. So it added that aspect to my game. I think it improved my shooting and being more aggressive.

"I was one of the league leaders in rebounding. But they counted on me to get those 25 points a game. I think I was a better player all in all for it. When I came back to Boston, statistically it was my best year, so I think it was good for me."

On whether  more NBA players will head to Europe:

B.S.: "There are so many European guys coming over here and guys here look at it like they’re taking jobs. And so it’s OK when we’re drafting players from there. Now that they’re taking them from here, everyone is saying: ‘What are we going to do?’ But I think it’s good."