I was watching the Sports Century bit on Larry Bird. I have always been a big Bird fan and watching the show was giving me goosebumps. But the part that really caught my attention was towards the end. After coming off the Dream Team odyssey, Bird was pretty sure he was going to retire. On August 15th of 1992, there was a clause in his contract that would automatically kick in a guaranteed $4.5 million option for another season. The stipulations stated that even if he were to retire any time after the option kicked in, he would be entitled to the entire $4.5 million. Well on August 12th, Bird trudge to the front office, and told them he was going to retire. The front office people told him to think about it for another week. And Bird responded by saying something to the extent of know what day it was and he refused to be paid that generous amount if he couldn't earn it. Even though Celtics management wanted Bird to accept the $4.5M as a going away present, the guy downright refused. You've got to admire the guy for it. I just wished Olajuwon could incorporate a little Bird in him and not be so money driven. I would love to see Olajuwon play his last game in a Rockets uniform, but not at his current asking price. ------------------
Yes, I agree about the Olajuwon part. I am absolutely shocked that Olajuwon would not take a pay cut. You would think he would be twice as classy as Barkley in this kind of matter, but nooooooo......gotta get his damn money. ------------------
Using 6% simple interest and not compounding, the $4.5M in 1992 is worth $7,602,655.32 today. Show me the money. ------------------ GATER
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the words "Larry Bird exception" a reference to Larry Bird and his contract? This is a guy who wanted more money than the Celtics could pay him under the salary cap, so the NBA created a new rule that would allow them to pay him more money. That's not to say he is a bad guy. But to argue that somehow Larry Bird wasn't about the money, and that Hakeem should learn from Larry, is ridiculous. At least Dream is just using the existing rules to his benefit - he's not making up new ones. ------------------ I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip that I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.
Sam, As much money as Magic and Bird brought into the NBA, they should have made what today's players are making. They were grossly underpaid. ------------------ "For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet
BobFinn* - Absolutely agree. SamCassell needs to see your "Mindboggling" chart. At $1.8m/yr, Bird would have had to play almost 9 seasons to make what the Rockets gave Dream last year. ------------------ GATER
How do you know what his current asking price is? Are you his agent? There's a difference here -- Bird wanted to retire, Hakeem does not. Bird had health problems and could no longer contribute, not so for Hakeem. Why don't we compare endorsement money between Bird and Hakeem? Spalding, LA Gear, Etonic...Hakeem endorses shoes that are affordable, and gets less money for it. That's being money-driven?
If it wasn't for Larry Bird, teams wouldn't have been able to re-sign their own free agents. It just happened that players and franchises have chosen to abuse it. ------------------ "Win if you can, lose if you must but always cheat!" - Jesse Ventura
I did. It was a good read. I even posted in that thread. Alot of it is a matter of economics - forget the quality of the players; the NBA as a league just didn't make the kind of money then that it is making today. Salaries come from league revenues. Plus, league salaries have always escalated dramatically. Bob*, as a Celtics fan, wouldn't you say that Russell should have made just as much money as Bird did? More even? But the economic realities of the game don't work that way. My point is that I am tired of seing players bashed for taking the money that is offered to them. Get off the damn high horse. If Hakeem is worth $4.5 million to some team (and my guess is he is) then that is what he will be paid. And I don't want to see Dream belittled for "taking the damn money" when that is what Larry did with his own special salary cap exemption. Hakeem still has a little left in the tank, based on what he produced last season, and he deserves to play if he wants to and be paid what he is worth. He doesn't owe the Rockets any special favors or hometown discount. When Bird left he was almost incapacitated due to his back injury - an entirely different set of circumstances. ------------------ I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip that I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis.
Upon further review, Bird was paid very well in his last season: Top 25 players salaries 1991-92 1. Larry Bird (Bos) $7,070,000 2. Hot Rod Williams (Cle) $3,786,000 3. Kevin McHale (Bos) $3,500,000 4. Reggie Lewis (Bos) $3,340,000 5. Michael Jordan (Chi) $3,250,000 6. Reggie Miller (Ind) $3,211,000 7. Charles Barkley (Phi) $3,200,000 8. Hakeem Olajuwon (Hou) $3,170,000 9. Patrick Ewing (NY) $3,139,000 10. Dominique Wilkins (Atl) $3,100,000 And the top ten team payrolls of 1991-92? Team Payrolls The salary cap for the 91-92 season was $12.5 million. Team Payroll 1. Boston Celtis $25,343,000 2. Cleveland Cavaliers $16,882,000 3. Chicago Bulls $16,829,000 4. Los Angeles Lakers $15,673,000 5. Detroit Pistons $15,428,000 6. Indiana Pacers $15,090,000 7. Philadelphia 76ers $14,058,000 8. Phoenix Suns $13,593,000 9. Seattle Supersonics $13,308,000 10. Houston Rockets $13,274,000 ------------------ "For there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Hamlet
Don't rip on Dream for being a shrewd businessman just yet. You may end up surprised. I'm of the opinion that he wants to return to Houston, but he doesn't want the Rockets to think they won't have to pay him for it. He probably won't get 10mil ... but he may get more than half of that asking price. Let's just wait and see, shall we? ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
Olujwon will certainly take a pay-cut this year. There is no way anyone will be paying him the $16 million he made last season. He knows that. He's just asking for market rate, which probably is about $4.5 million (since he'll want to play for a capped-out contender). Barkley took the minimum one year because there was something he desperately wanted to accomplish -- win the championship -- not because he wanted to do the Rockets a favor. Olajuwon and the Rockets are in a different position now. ------------------ RealGM Gafford Art Artisan Cakes
Great point. Jordan and all those guys got way more from endorsement deals than salaries. Hakeem actually turned down big money endoresement deals(Nike) and willingly accepted much less. So it's not all about money for this guy. I think the common perception of pro atheletes in general is that they are greedy and overpaid. In many cases that's true. But I think that right now, because the image pro players have is automatically so negative when there is any type of money negotiation, that it's almost a guilt by association thing with Dream. ------------------
