Evan Fournier. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Evan Fournier reveals 'dark side of the NBA'

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Sep 24, 2024 9:12 AM ET

Evan Fournier spent 12 years in the NBA before returning to Europe this summer. He will now play for Olympiacos, having signed a two-year contract with the Greek powerhouse. His experience in the NBA will undoubtedly prove beneficial as he looks to establish himself on the European stage.

Nevertheless, it would appear that Fournier is happy to leave behind certain aspects of the NBA. During a recent interview with EuroHoops, the veteran ball-handler cited "tanking" culture as the league's "dark side." Tanking is a colloquial term used to describe a team that purposely loses to boost its chances of a strong draft pick.

"One of the dark sides of the NBA is when teams are losing on purpose to get higher draft picks. Tanking...it's real," Fournier said. "My last two months in Detroit, the organization was great, but it was a young team that wasn't necessarily trying to win. And when you're my age, it's hard to go through that."

"One of the dark sides of the NBA is when teams are losing on purpose to get higher draft picks. Tanking is real"

–– Evan Fournier pic.twitter.com/flGXTGPQEB
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 23, 2024

The 2025 draft prospects will be deep and headlined by Cooper Flagg, who already looks like a future star in the NBA. As such, multiple teams are expected to be "competitive losers" in the upcoming season, with the race for Flagg expected to heat up as the season progresses.

Fournier's comments are fair. Even rebuilding teams have veteran talents within the rotation. For the older players, winning is usually the priority as they look to get the most out of their careers in the NBA before it's too late.

Of course, the NBA did change the way draft lottery odds work in an attempt to deter teams from going into a full tank during deep draft seasons. Since the 2019 draft, the three bottom teams have a 14 percent chance of securing the first overall pick. That change has somewhat limited tanking within the NBA, but there are still instances where it takes place.

Nevertheless, Fournier will no longer have to worry about jockeying for a draft position. Now that he's in Europe, he can focus on playing his game and proving himself to a new fan base with a new style of play. As for the NBA, its product continues to grow from strength to strength, so it's unlikely we will see any additional changes soon.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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