Life is short. Too short to measure everything by a financial ROI. We, of all people, should know that. I have made many mistakes in life and am not in the best financial position, but I would not trade any of those experiences for a better ledger sheet. I was headed for the dullest of lives, a life of hating to go to work everyday. Joining the church inspired me to take chances because I felt that I had a lot of growing to do in order to be of any use to anyone else.
To go and live and work Italy as a young married couple - if you think that those memories will not compare to a career in the NBA then take it from someone who missed those opportunities and then got some of them back, those are the things that you remember and value.