The kid doesn't have an NBA body. But he has game. At this age, he is already one of the best passers in the league. Like many people say, the injury risk is just too high.
I am going to have to disagree with you here and say that the move to NBA was the best decision he could have made for himself financially. With those twig legs of his, who knows if they could have withstood the college level. If he got injured, then he would have been labeled as an injury risk and there would not have been much hype about him coming into the NBA or he may have gone undrafted if his injuries were as severe as the ones he got in the NBA. At least with the time he spent in LA, he made over $10 million in salary and endorsements. That is enough for any sane person to retire off of. He could potentially live out the rest of his life on this money easily on interest alone. Making more per year in interest than at least 95% of this board makes in salary. Could things have gone better in college like you say? Maybe. But with his fragile body I would not have bet on it. At Duke, he would have been penniless and injured. Right now he is a millionaire.
I'd venture to guess he would make more than anyone on this board with interest on 10 mill. 3% is $300,000.
that does look scary... well, let ROX medical staff look into this, if they feel there is hope...i say we give him a short cheap contract...
Keep in mind, a football player only has to compete once a week... a basketball player has to compete three-four times a week during the season.. and instead of 18 weeks, its 6 months! (difference of 2.5 months - or there abouts) There is a world of difference in what a knee has to do for a running back and what it has to do for an NBA point guard. I really liked what Livingston was doing before he got injured but there is no way you take him now.. we already have the most oft injured stars in the league, do we need another injury waiting to happen on the roster?
The NBA. Where Latrell "I have to feed my kids" Spreewell getting his boat foreclosed happens. Where Scottie Pippen trying to make a comeback because he was engulfed in debt happens. Where 60% of NBA players are broke 5 years out of basketball happens. We're talking about the NBA here. These guys don't have the best people whispering in their ears. Plus, no Jesus Shuttlesworth goes into the NBA draft hoping to steal some signing bonus money from some team and eat/sit their way out of the league in 2-3 years. Even now people are salivating over his tangibles (6"5 with incredible court vision and passing skills), and it's just a shame that he was not able to fulfill his potential and make hundreds of millions rather than just cash in his rookie contract and not even get a qualifying offer. As for him not being durable enough for college, come on. Do you watch the NCAA? Half those guys are twigs to begin with. Durant was a twig starting out. Brandon Wright was a twig. DeAndre Jordan. The point of going to college is to get to a certain level of competition where you can still dominate while developing your body and showing NBA scouts that you have not yet reached your ceiling.
I get what you're saying, but I wouldn't mind him as a backup 10-15 min per game. Now as far the strain put on a knee on a RB as opposed to a Basketball player, well that a tough one! You could argue either way. My point was with the way Orthopedic medicine has evolved there is a possibility to return from knee injuries that before would certainly end your career.
The problem with Livingston is that he is a real PG. He's not an OJ Mayo, he is a pass first PG with limited shooting range. He needs his quickness to be affective. If he does come back and is not as quick then i don't see him being an effective NBA player. Look at what happened to Penny Hardaway and he was a much better athlete and especially shooter.
I think he is just young enough to recover from a bad injury like that, in fact I think it would be bargain for us to pick him up, if we can get for something reasonable. If he were 26 and older, I would be a little more hesitant. It's not like we have any great shooting pgs anyway...and it is not like they are particular good passers either.
Most players are broke after 5 years because they never got an education....and they can't leave the lifestyle. DD
I always like Livingston. What he has to do is play in another pro league and show that he isn't through. Any team in the league would sign him to a non-guaranteed contract for a look see to waive him. His injury was bad, but don't think it was Jay Williams bad. If this guy can some how work on his outside shot while he is doing non contact drills and is 85 percent athletic ability that he had at 6'7 he would be a steal.
That's why the NFL (and I'm sure the NBA as well) spends a ton of money each year holding personal finance classes teaching rookies how to properly manage their money. For most people annual earnings move in a northeast direction when graphed against age, for athletes it's a southeast direction.
Thats the same thing I was thinking. The kid can ball no doubt so if hes healthy I think LA would want to keep him.
What is it with tall point guards named Livingston? We all know about Shaun's injury, but does anybody remember RANDY LIVINGSTON, point guard, 6-5, 209, 21, Louisiana State, 1996. IIRC, his career went south after blowing out his knees during college. He was drafted in the second round by the Rockets, so we have a Livingston PG link.
that play he hurt him self had nothing to do with the nba. same exact thing could have happened in college
Jason Williams had a chance of never walking again. That was something entirely different. And it's impossible to say what would have happened if Livingston had spent a year in college. Like that Sliding Doors movie, everything would have changed. I'm pretty sure, however, that he wouldn't have broken his leg and torn every ligament in his knee at any point in his life had anything gone differently. It was a freak accident. He would have been in his first year as a pro as opposed to his second, and perhaps he'd have had less playing time in what happened to be his fourth month in the NBA grind of a season. I still maintain that he would have been a better overall player, undoubtedly a stronger one, and most likely one who would not have been so injury-prone even before that freak accident if he had gone to a year of college. Remember, before that accident, he'd missed a significant chunk of his rookie year as well due to various injuries.
Actually most are businessmen and invest their money wisely. Unless you are a dumbass like Scottie Pippen or Latrell Spreewill (however you spell it)
