“That’s not what I have in mind,” Evan Fournier told the French media when they asked if he had any plans to return to Europe. This instance happened when he was training with the French national team. And given that the Pistons had released him, the question was understandable. Fast forward to early September and the news is out that Fournier signed a two-year, $4 million deal to play for Greece-based Olympiacos. Interestingly, it seems that this move from the NBA to Europe was just what he needed!

The 2023-24 NBA season wasn’t too kind to Fournier. For one, he never really got enough playing time. Although he fell out of the rotation with the Knicks, after three seasons with them, Detroit soon picked him up. But the 31-year-old did not really find it fulfilling.

In fact, he said, “Going from Detroit to the Olympics gave me life. I want to continue like this,” in an honest admission. Clearly, he was frustrated with his NBA life. And as mentioned above, the lack of playing time was the most frustrating part. Regardless of what was happening, the 2012 first-round pick confessed that he knew he wasn’t going to be called to take the floor.

In his last two seasons, Evan Fournier played a combined 59 games, averaging just 17.6 minutes. This was a drastic change from his first year with New York, in 2021-22, where he played in 80 games (all starts), averaging just below 30 minutes per game. In addition, it was also when he broke the Knicks’ single-season record for most made three-pointers (241). So yes, the frustration is understandable.

We already heard one of the reasons for his exit from American soil. But it seems like there is an underlying cause. In his interview with Eurohoops, Fournier admitted that he had reached a point where he stopped enjoying basketball. And when exactly was that?

“I think when the business of basketball takes over, this is where it gets a little hard… to me, the true essence of competition is everything… one of the dark sides of the NBA is when teams are losing on purpose to get the higher Draft picks. Tanking, it’s real. Like my last two months in Detroit, the organization was great. But it was a young team that wasn’t necessarily trying to win,” he revealed to Eurohoops.

However, the other side of the coin is that his 12 years with the league provided him with quite the financial stability.

Evan Fournier made well over $145 million with 5 teams, however his ‘principles’ taught by family stay strong

Per reports, the French hooper accumulated almost $145.8 million since joining the NBA. Of course, the man worked hard for it. But the only place he found something of stability was the Magic. Being a first-round pick meant that his salary was guaranteed. So not only did Orlando take the responsibility of handing out the rest of the rookie scale contract he signed with the Nuggets, they also provided Fournier with a 5-year, $85 million contract in 2016.

Despite such aspects, it certainly was surprising to see the 79th highest-paid player of the 2023-24 season not have any awards or honors to his name. Evan Fournier was paid more than stars like OG Anunoby or D’Angelo Russell. And yet the intriguing fact is that his contract with the Olympiacos pays him significantly less than what he was earning annually with NYC – $16.25 million less, to be exact!

However, the hooper’s principles supersede everything. “I’m a true competitor. I was born in the family of fighters. Both of my parents were fighters, judo. To me, competition or the true essence of competition is everything. You give everything you have, you get what you deserve, you lose, you lose. He’s better than you. That’s the game,” the Frenchman said before unveiling his NBA team reservations.

With Evan’s parents being former judokas and his dad a World Cup Champion, the hooper’s always had a tough-minded and winning mentality. But Fournier shared that he was at an age where the Pistons were not the best route to take. The hooper also mentioned that he recently rejected an offer from the Wizards “for similar reasons”.

Sadly, though, the reality is that sports is more of a business now than ever. And it’s always going to be interwoven with the industry. While it’s necessary to sign off on those huge paychecks, we suppose there comes a time when money takes a backseat to the true passion for the sport.

Hopefully, Evan Fournier finds that with the Reds.