Rewarding trip The happiest guy at this year's NBA All-Star Game might be Sonics forward Rashard Lewis. The 6-foot-10 seventh-year pro not only made his first All-Star team, becoming one of the few second-round draft picks ever to do so, he also earned himself a nice cash bonus. Lewis received an extra $1.95 million -- nearly twice as much as originally reported -- for making this year's All-Star team, according to a league source with knowledge of the contract. It was all part of a seven-year, $60 million deal he signed in 2002, negotiated by brothers Carl and Kevin Poston. While agents are not allowed to provide specific dollar amounts of contracts, Kevin Poston confirmed Lewis did receive a bonus. He also said Lewis has an opt-out clause in his contract after the fifth season that can make him a free agent in '07. "When Rashard signed his contract he was viewed as a good player," Poston said. "We felt he was going to be great, and we wanted to make sure he got paid for being great." Lewis' All-Star rise is remarkable for other reasons as well. One of two second-round picks in this year's game (along with Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas), he was once known mainly for being shown on TV squirming and crying as 29 teams passed him on draft night in '98. But the former Houston area high school phenom refused to quit and instead used the painful snub as motivation. This season, he's averaged 20.3 points and 5.5 rebounds for a Sonics team that has become one of the NBA's big surprises. "Rashard is not only a great player, he's a great person," Kevin Poston said. "He's so soft-spoken and quiet. But he told me before the season that he was going to make the All-Star team. That's the kind of confidence he has in himself." The Postons wisely made sure Lewis got a chance to be rewarded. As a result his client is feeling a mile high. "We've got [an All-Star bonus] in there for next year, too," Kevin Poston said. "Next year, it goes up." Arenas already maxed out ADVERTISEMENT Lewis' All-Star bonanza got us wondering if Arenas had a similar clause in his contract. After all, he too was a former second-round pick. But unlike Lewis, Arenas signed a contract with the Wizards in '03 that used up all of Washington's available salary cap space at the time. NBA rules don't allow teams to add incentive clauses that exceed the available cap space. "In Gilbert's case we negotiated a contract where the Wizards used all their available salary cap room to sign [him] to guaranteed salary," Arenas' agent, Dan Fegan, said. "As a result no bonuses were available." Who's Up LeBron James, Cavs His first All-Star appearance. This week's cover of SI. MVP candidate. It just keeps getting better for the 6-8 second-year phenom. More than just a dunker or great passer, he truly has earned his starting role in Sunday's showcase. As of Thursday he was averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while leading the Cavs to a 30-21 record. He also was drawing raves for his maturity and ability to handle the off-court demands of instant stardom. More than any other player, he'll command center stage at this year's game. Who's Down Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets Unlike LeBron, the other phenom from last year's draft class has hit a bit of a sophomore slump. Anthony got benched during the Olympics, was arrested on a pot possession charge (his friend claimed responsibility), and unwittingly allowed himself to be pictured in a controversial DVD that glorified drug use. Now he finds himself mostly on the sidelines as the All-Star show comes to his city. His only All-Star appearance will be in Friday's Rookie/Sophomore Game, in which LeBron is also scheduled to participate. E-mail Question of the Week Do you think we'll ever see the NBA All-Star Game switch to a U.S. vs. the World format? -- J.W. Battle, New York City It's only a matter of time. The NHL tried this format a few years ago, and in some ways it's even more fitting in pro basketball. The NBA is fast becoming a global game. Sunday's game will be televised in 214 countries, according to the NBA. The bottom line is the All-Star Game is about TV ratings, and if the world market demands it, it will happen. Of course, if the U.S. is worried about being embarrassed again (like at last summer's Olympics) then maybe it's not a good idea. This year's game, for example, could feature a World starting lineup of Yao Ming (China), Tim Duncan (if one counts the Virgin Islands as "international"), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Manu Ginobili (Argentina) and Steve Nash (Canada). Those five could give any U.S. starting five a serious run for its money. Grudge Match of the Week Raptors at Nets, Feb. 22 All-Star Vince Carter meets his former team for the first time since his Dec. 17 trade to New Jersey. After the deal, Carter admitted he had become so frustrated by losing in Toronto that he didn't always play his hardest. That admission, along with an allegation that he once tipped off a play to an opponent, didn't sit well with some of his former Raptors teammates. Some even said so publicly. Carter, who has predictably been rejuvenated by the change of scenery, will surely want to show them his All-Star form. Move We'd Like to See The Fighting Bradley By now it's an old story, but the NBA needs to keep finding ways to keep the dunk contest fresh and exciting. They've tried shutting it down for a couple years. They've tried the Wheel of Fortune. They've raised the prize money to $25,000 (like that's going to work when most NBA players can scrounge that up in their Escalade car seats). But the best suggestion remains one I first heard a few years ago (sorry, can't remember the origin) but still applies: pay Shawn Bradley to stand under the basket and try to defend. Give him $1,000 for every successful rejection, and bonus points for the dunkers who can serve up the best facials on him. If Bradley won't do it, get Frederic Weis. If nothing else, the NBA could sell a lot of posters. The List Slam Dunk champions since 1995 (the contest was not held in '98 and '99): '95 Harold Miner, Heat '96 Brent Barry, Clippers '97 Kobe Bryant, Lakers '00 Vince Carter, Raptors '01 Desmond Mason, Sonics '02 Jason Richardson, Warriors '03 Jason Richardson, Warriors '04 Fred Jones, Pacers http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...slug=cnnsi-rewardingtrip&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns
