DaJuan Summers had high hopes for his time abroad during the NBA lockout as he was one of the first NBA players to take a job across the pond this summer. It didn't take long for the Detroit Pistons forward to return stateside, however, as Montepaschi Siena announced last week that the two sides voided his contract by mutual decision.
Summers scored a total of 16 points in four games in 58 minutes on a team that featured fellow Americans Bo McCalebb, Shaun Stonerook and David Moss as well as former NBA player David Andersen, but he apparently didn't feel like he was getting the amount of playing time he felt was warranted.
His time in Italy was not a surprise to those that follow European basketball, but Summers apparently wasn't prepared for what was in store according to an interview he did with Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.
"Back home you got to score, make plays and be able to spread the defense," Summers said. "But here it's more [emphasis on] defense. It's more like a college feel. The paint is jam packed. Guys play harder, but it's not more physical. That's a misconception."
NBA players are accustomed to five-star hotels and charter flights. Siena traveled like many European teams: eight-hour bus rides, commercial jets and two players to a room.
"We were fighting over exit-row seats so we wouldn't be bunched up," Summers said. "That's a major difference from flying private on the team plane. It's like going back to AAU days.
"The beds were small and twin sized in the hotel. If you wanted to turn over you actually had to get up, turn yourself over and lay back down. You were like an arm's length from the other person's bed. You felt like you were in the same bed because the rooms were real small."
With his time playing in Europe over, he will workout in Baltimore, Maryland, until the NBA lockout is complete. As soon as it does end, he will be a free agent.