http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1642702 Oct. 31, 2002, 10:46PM Play now, get paid later for Thomas By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle DENVER -- Kenny Thomas went through his usual whip-the-rookies bit. Too strong and too quick, he beat Bostjan Nachbar off the dribble. He went under and over Yao Ming on lefthanded reverses and spin moves. He worked out frustrations -- well, a few -- and ironed out the kinks from his days forced to wait for a fractured right thumb to heal. And he demonstrated, even in a limited practice drill, the perils of playing rookies in the paint and how greatly the veteran was missed. But there was also an irony in the timing that he was in no mood to appreciate. The Rockets might have never needed Thomas as much as they did Wednesday in Indianapolis. But Thursday, the deadline passed to reach an agreement on a contract extension that Thomas had clearly sought. There was no suspense. The Rockets had made it clear the impending luxury tax handcuffed making a deal. But Thomas still held out hope. As recently as Tuesday, he said his representatives were working on reaching an agreement. Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson, however, said the Rockets were limited by the same constraints that have slowed deal making throughout the NBA. Instead, Thomas will play the fourth season of his rookie contract, worth $1,557,683 this season, that the Rockets extended with the standard team option. Having passed on their exclusive right to negotiate an extension of up to six years, the Rockets will hold the right to match any offer Thomas receives as a restricted free agent after the season. "I feel like I have to prove myself again," Thomas said, choosing his words carefully. "Things haven't gone my way this summer. I have a lot of high expectations for myself. Once I get my next contract, I will relax and just play the game. I'll still take care of my body. And I'll still have my expectations. I want to be an All Star. That's my dream now. My dream was to get here. Now I'm here. My next dream is to play in the All-Star Game." Other players, including that draft's first pick, Elton Brand, and the fourth player taken, Lamar Odom, also did not receive contract extensions. Last season, Mike Bibby and Raef LaFrentz did not reach agreements at the same stage of their rookie contracts only to receive richer offers this season. But Thomas said he "of course" wanted to have the deal made. He added, however, that his desire was not to receive the validation of a contract extension but to get the security. "I know I haven't gotten my next contract and it is nerve-wracking because I don't know what's going to happen next year," Thomas said. "Anything could happen. I could get hurt. I have to take care of me and my family. I know there will be times I will get down or I will get (angry) because I don't have any security right now. "People have told me I proved myself to a certain extent with the season I had last year. There were expectations that weren't that high for me because they didn't know if I would play like I did. But to me, that's just scratching the surface. I feel like I can do a lot more." With Maurice Taylor serving a five-game suspension, and Terence Morris and Glen Rice out with injuries, the Rockets especially need what Thomas brought them last season. The Rockets' forwards -- excluding Cuttino Mobley who was listed as a forward in a three-guard starting lineup -- scored just 15 points against the Pacers and none could deliver the defensive muscle that Thomas brings. In a physical game, the Rockets' most physical player was forced to watch. Though he has often felt somewhat unappreciated since falling to the twenty-second selection in the draft, Thomas found little solace in being so obviously missed. "It's always hard to watch," Thomas said. "It's like with Steve (Francis) last year. Steve got hurt and then he got the migraines, and everybody said, `We can't win without Steve.' But even if the team was doing well, and I know we lost our last three games (including preseason) since I went out, I would still want to play. It was killing me I wanted to play so bad." Thomas is not fully healed and will wear a splint on his thumb. He smacked the cushioned wall behind him to demonstrate that he has improved enough to take a hit, but said the tape on the splint makes it difficult to control the ball on long-range shots. But after Wednesday, the Rockets are not seeking Thomas' touch from 20 feet. They need him to defend and rebound from either forward position, and to score in the paint. "I think the guy is very valuable," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He can match up with so many different players. He may be as versatile a defender as anybody in the league. He has an edge to him, a toughness about him. And when he's putting the ball on the floor and facing up and taking it to the basket, he's ... very hard to guard." Tomjanovich has said as much many times before. A year ago to the day, he said Thomas might be the best defensive power forward in the NBA. But he said it again Wednesday when he spoke privately with Thomas. Tomjanovich said there was no special reason for the talk and that the contract issue was not his motivation. But the message was delivered. "I talked to him (Wednesday)," Tomjanovich said. "I talked to him about how I feel about him. "That's the stuff I do as a coach. I stay connected with my players. I didn't do it because of any reason. He was there. It was like the way I talk to other guys. There wasn't any reason. It wasn't, `Get in here, I need to talk to you.' I just saw him. I looked at his thumb. `How you doing? We miss you. You know how we feel about you.' "I think he knows." But it never hurts to hear, especially as a deadline passed with a job to be done.
This may sound homer to anyone except maybe HP, but I'm really excited to get Kenny back out on the floor. I miss his energy, and we need him badly. Maybe he can make a statement before Mo comes back.
KT is my second favorite player on the rockets behind Cat. He is a stud on both ends of the court. He is the only player on our team who is willing to kick ass on every possession. I hope he stays around.
"I have to take care of me and my family. I know there will be times I will get down or I will get (angry) because I don't have any security right now. " You know, it's just really sad to see a guy who guaranteed a cool 1.5 million dollars whine to the media about having to take care of his family and "security". Give me a break, if he doesn't have security after making more then 99.9% of the people in the richest country in the world, he is truly spolied. Most people don't make 1.5 million in current dollars over their whole lifetimes. To get depressed or angry about this and complaining to media just makes him seem weak in mind and character. I like the way he plays, but geez, what's up with these guys? You think they expected a guaranteed contract when they were 5 years old! Stop whining about what you can't control, and realize how fortunate you are. Even if you do get injured, if you have wasted the millions you have earned, and are planning to waster the 1.5 million you earn this year...well that's too bad for you. Maybe you should have put that money away until you had a long-term contract. Yeah, it's called saving money...what people who make a fraction of what you earn do and still have "security"
I got holes in my shoes I got holes in my teeth I got holes in my socks I can't get no sleep I'm trying to make a million And I got patches on the patches On my old blue jeans Well they used to be blue When they used to be new When they used to be clean But I've got a Momma whose a hummer Just keepin' me alive While I'm in the band room drinking with the boys She's working 9 to 5 knows her place that woman Just you wait - One of these days see me driving round town In my rock 'n' Rolls Royce with the sun roof down My bottle of booze No summer time blues Shouting out, "Look at me" In my rock 'n' roll voice No it ain't no fun, waiting 'round to be a millionaire
What KT seems to be trying to say is he would like to get this contract thing out of the way,,,,So he can solely concentrate on basketball. Not worring about contracts, where he is going to live, where his kids are going to school,etc.....He really wants to remain in Houston,with the Rockets....He wasnt asking for a Malik Rose type contract..6yrs @ 48million..but. he is every bit as valuable to the Rockets as Malik is to the Spurs.....The Rockets should have extended Kennys contract..Because, next year Kenny will be signing that 6 yr @ 48 million with somebody...........
I never had anything against Kenny, I have always liked him. But more than ever I can see his value to the team and hope he's out on the floor NOW.
NewYorker, Did you ever consider that he is taking care of more people than 99.9% of the people--spreading his money around more than you or I? Are we spoiled for not sharing our money? Did you ever consider that maybe since he has made it to the NBA that he wants more for his family than he had? Isn't that what 99.9% of the parents in America want? Did you ever consider that he wants to do philanthropy with his millions? "spoiled" for wanting the millions to be locked in and guaranteed? I don't read it that way. If you have the talent to guarantee millions, you want the security of insurance to make sure you get it. How is that being "spoiled?" What if an owner tells David Stern that he wants the security of extending his franchise license for another 10 yrs? Is that spoiled, or is that good business sense? Calling a business man spoiled for wanting security of guarantee revenue is odd to me. And Kenny Thomas is a business man as well as a philanthropist as well as a family man, and we have no right to judge a man on wanting the best for his family and himself.
Whatever, so you are saying if you were Kenny you would go to the papers and complain that you couldn't take care of your family either if you got injured and risked not being able to expand upon your millions of dollars? Please, there are people out of work in this country with families who don't get angry or depressed when they lose their jobs. They deal with it and survive. Being a smart business man is one thing, but whining to the media to millions of people who have it worse off is just poor character.
Kenny feels like the Rockets are asking him to prove himself again. He did that last year. I like Kenny's game. We reallyl needed him two nights ago. We could use some muscle underneath.
I agree. The thing about KT though is that he's busted his ass since he's been here and to see players like MoT and Cato with these fat deals they don't deserve must be frustrating. If KT concentrates on playing hard and helping the team win then everything will fall into place for him. We appreciate ya Kenny!!!
KT will not get a contract that big unless he makes the All-star team, and frankly, he's no All-Star. He can worry about getting a bigger contract and where his kids will go to school, but geez, he should spare us his petty problems. There's a lot of classy players who get shafted and don't go to the media whining about feeding their kids. Geez, give me a break.
That was my favorite line. Shouldn't he be proving himself every year? Or was he planning on loafing after he got his contract?
JV you are exactly right. No one should not let off after a contract, ala Cato. That is the problem. The impression that I got was that KT felt like he had shown the rockets he deserves it and they didnt give it to him. Of course, I am not saying that his game would drop off after a contract, I dont think KT is that way. But I just felt like that is what his thinking was.
That's all fine and dandy, then he should just come out and say - I bust my ass, I exceed expectations - give me my contract and pay me more like players who produce as I do. I can accept that. I don't mind greedy athletes, and I like Kenny's work ethic. But pulling this family and security BS makes me think much less of his character as a person. Trying to use that as leverage to earn more money in the media...does he really expect to get any sympathy from anyone? he's going up to CD and saying...."Look, you got to understand CD, I need to make more then you do in order to feed my children" I just suspect that once he gets his contract and feels like he's "appreciated" by getting paid more money then he's worth, he's just slack off and take it easy a bit, and stop striving to get better...afterall what's the point, he doesn't need to prove anything after that.
NewYorker, The fact that you are dismissing in your rush to judgement is Kenny DID NOT go to the media *during* negotiations like Payton did. Not once. This article is *after* the deadline to sign an extension. So figure that one out If you've seen Kenny's interviews, he answers questions honestly. You are assuming he was not just answering questions. Knowing Kenny as a quiet athlete, he most like was approached by Feigen, not the other way around, and that is borne out in the fact he never went to the media during his negotiations...neither him, nor his agent. <b>bottomline:</b> wanting to take care of family (likely his brothers, sister, parents as well) in a wealthier manner than 99.9% of the people (like creating legacies via trust funds for grandkids who are even born yet) is still 100% wanting to care of family. That shows good character. Hey NYers is that a chip on your shoulder or did a bird **** on you.
I think you're way off here. KT's body has changed dramatically since he joined the league and slackers don't do that kind of work. I have zero doubts about Kenny's work ethic.
