Maybe Hakeem was waiting for D Rob's contract. And as for Hakeem already having a lot of money and not waiting on more money, that's not exactly known either. If someone offers you more money than you currently have or are making, most people would take it. I'm not sure if Hakeem is the type of person to say "I love Houston, I'm staying for a lot less money" or "...this is a business". How about you? ------------------ "I'll tell you this, the older I get, the less I trust people. It's true. It's damn true." -- gr8-1 going through some growing pains.
DoD, There are PLENTY of extremely rich people who don't care of money. Can we start with Paul Allen and Mark Cuban and Charles Barkley? They seek life's cherished moments. If Allen and Cuban could care less about the luxury tax than they do about the fun of competition, it is reasonable to presume Dream cares less about salary as he does about competition...and an offense where he can compete in crucial moments. [This message has been edited by crispee (edited July 12, 2001).]
Wow. I'm always surprised at how an idle comment can arouse the wrath of the multitudes... For my part, I apologise if I in any way offended anyone. I obviously did, and for that, I am truly sorry. I did not mean for that to happen. I must also say in my defense that I am not in any way, shape, or form racist. Let's face it, racists have no business in basketball, and while I am certainly not the brightest fan to have ever loved the game, I couldn't care less what color the players are. As for the history of Nigeria, I also apologise for not being as well versed on it as I should have been before I moved my fingers. All I really know about it is that oil is king, the population is large, the military used to rule, and the AIDS problem there is staggering. I therefore assumed that the vast majority of the population was poor (compared to US standards), and that Hakeem was a relative king there. Again, I'm no expert on the subject, and I thank Wale for informing me better... I did not know, and I apologise for my ignorance. As for my ideas on Hakeem and his behavior, I am totally unrepentant. He is asking for an outrageous sum of $, he is hurting the team's chemistry and chances of pursuing FAs (both Rox and other teams' players), and he is spoiling what would otherwise be an awesome offseason. So that's it. I apologise for any misinterpreted racist remarks I may have said, and for my socio-political-economic ignorance regarding Nigeria, but that's it. Hakeem is pissing me off, and that isn't going to change until/unless he signs with us and decides to be a team player. ------------------
Of course there are plenty of such people. My only question is : Is Hakeem among them? I don't know. At times I've seen him as being the greedy "...this is business" person. At other times I've seen him as being "...this is a team game; I want to stay because we're so close to something good happening" player. I guess we'll see... ------------------ "I'll tell you this, the older I get, the less I trust people. It's true. It's damn true." -- gr8-1 going through some growing pains.
I don't think there is one right answer... I am pretty sure that he knows he could live on the money he has accumulated already for the rest of his life. But, on the other hand, he obviously wants some money(Probably pride, more so than actually wanting the extra green), if he wanted to finish his career in Houston but still play for the fun of it his last season, he would have fired Fegan and gone for the exception. My take on Dream ------------------ The title will come to ClutchCity once again. [This message has been edited by vj23k (edited July 12, 2001).]
I'll say it again: I'm a Hakeem fan, but the Rockets come first. This IS a team sport. (the phrase 'cognitive dissonance' keeps coming to mind, and I don't like the way that sounds...) ------------------
Hey there treeman . I never thought or inferred that you were racist....if you read my post.......I said that I understood if your comments about Hakeem were made out of frustration. I totally understand where you're coming from..........and agree with you on many points.....I just had to clarify certain facts about Nigeria....You're right, the AIDS thing was/is bad , but has really been curbed of late.... South Africa and its surrounding countries are really the countries faced with this raging epidemic currently. I am at a total loss as to what is up with Hakeem. I really hope he stays and retires in Houston. ------------------ Ignorance is very expensive [This message has been edited by Wale (edited July 12, 2001).]
Wale: No, you didn't but others did. No problem, tho... No sarcasm in that post - it was/is sincere. If I could put my feelings on Hakeem right now into a single word, I'd have to steal it from your post: frustration. And anger. I get mad when I see something I love being threatened - as does everyone - and I see Hakeem's recent behavior as threatening to the Rox future. A little fear, too. When I say I'm a Hakeem fan, I mean it. I might not have followed him as long as everyone else here (since about '90 I've been interested/amazed), but I love him the same. But I love the Rox more. This is IMO one of the few orgs that is worth a damn in the league. It cares about the community, the players, and the fans - not just the $. Hakeem has always been a part of that, not to mention the best C until Shaq after '96. I want him to stay. Like a baby I don't even want him to retire a Rocket, I want him to stay and play forever... Adolescent hopes wandering through a brain that's too old (hell, I'm only 28 - this league makes you think you're too old too fast) and a reality that's too... modern. Too realistic to REALLY hope for that fantasy. Anyway, welcome to the board, and again, I apologise for any insult I may have inflicted. Not trying to be obsequious to a newbie, just trying to clear things up. ------------------
BTW Wale, ignorance is cheap. Everyone has it. Intelligence is expensive. If you're paying taxes as an American yet, and you've ever followed American defense and diplomacy, then you know what I'm talking about. ------------------
We Don't owe Hakeem squat! Hakeem needs to take a lesson from a real and truly virtuous man, like Charles Barkley, and humble himself into signing a reasonable contract for the betterment of the team. Hakeem needs to get his out of Mecca and back to playing hoops with the boys of Fond Recca. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Rockettebustier (edited July 13, 2001).]
It is about the Money! But not the way most of us think about money. In the cirlces of people with tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, Money=respect, money=power, money=love. It's not like "I need a couple of million to insure a comfortable life for my family" Heck, I would venture to guess Hakeem makes more from his endorsements, restaurants, real estate companies and stock investments per year than he does from basketball. Remember his biggest paydays were during the period of the greatest bull market in history. Hakeem just has to have his ego satisfied. And I am sure if it were not for the restraints of the salary cap, Les would give him the love, cause he wouldn't miss it either . But with our hands tied by the CBA he just can't do it. It's been great Big Fella, enjoy your retirement. ------------------ I find my own ignorance amusing [This message has been edited by Gene Peterson (edited July 13, 2001).]
