Letter to Spanoulis Letter to Spanoulis Geia sou Vasili, We agree with your decision to not return to this Houston team. It's a "business decision" -- one the Rockets are not unfamiliar with... Kaln tyxn, S. Cassell (Los Angeles, CA) R. Horry (San Antonio, TX) R. Lewis (Alief, TX) M. Maloney (Houston, TX) B. Nachbar (Somewhere in New Jersey) R. Tomjanovich (Los Angeles, CA)
My problem with Span is not that he is a Momma boy. A lot of people move to an foreign country and regret. I respect the Greek culture. Homesick, all that, is understandable. But, being adult, he needs to keep his commitment, the contract he signed with the Rockets. Also, I am frustrated, that with a new coach and our good intention to have him back, he refuses. I disrespect that.
Contract doesn't mean commitment. Players AND coaches have been known to sign contracts and then want out midway though. And it works both ways too. Owners and GMs have been known to sign players and then midway though trade them or cut them. Thats just the way it is. I have no beef with Vspan wanting to leave. He was going to be the 5th guard off the bench with all the guards we have on this team. Doesn't really change anything.
None of these guys were under contract when they made their supposed "business decision" not to return to Houston. There is a difference between not returning to the Rockets when you're a free agent and not returning to the Rockets when you're under contract! Moreover, I don't think we can say for certain that this is a business decision - if the Rockets don't let him out of his contract and he doesn't play - he gets no money from anyone...no matter how you slice that its a poor business decision. And why would you even throw Matt Maloney in the mix?!
Vilifying an individual for his personal and family decision and spreading vast stereotypes about nations and cultures in one thread. Perfect spirit right after IDP Day and in our country in which "Family Values" are supposed to be so important. (And if you don't know there is a huge irony in that so much of Western Culture and the US has one of its main arteries from the Greeks). BTW How many of you guys welcoming Bonzi back after he quit on the team right before the playoffs? VS made a mistake and we made a mistake. It was too soon to try the NBA thing—for him and for us, and wouldn't have happened at all if not the James trade kicker fiasco (we would have stocked him away in Europe another couple of seasons). Which we recently just paid to get the player back in the ultimate of ironies (and of course James went from vilified to celebrated by merely being traded to us—nothing he did and nothing any fans did, a trade done by GMs). Funny how all ya’ll entitled sports fans act like he owes you. Let's all just move on. If VS retires or pays our buy out back or whatever we should wish him well.
This is all fine and good, he should pursue happiness wherever it might be, but he signed a contract. Sometimes you just need to suck it up and fulfill your commitments, then pursue his happiness when those are done. One of the biggest problems with this world is people backing out of commitments because they run into some obstacles. The idea that you don't have to do anything that doesn't make you happy is a very destructive attitude.
I'm sure this has been discussed, but how will this affect the Salary cap? Do we have to continue to pay him despite his breach of contract? Will his 2 million continue to count against our salary cap for the next 2 years?
