Watch this move
Ahhh, to be young and slick in the NBA today
Posted: Thursday February 25, 1999 11:42 AM
Here at the vast CNN/Sports Illustrated Sports Empire, where making scads
of money never has been held against anyone, we've been intrigued by the
story of Ray Allen,
the Milwaukee Bucks'
fine shooting guard.
Seems Allen has broken some semi-new ground in the NBA by eliminating the
middleman from contract negotiations. He signed a six-year, $70.9 million
contract extension last week -- we call it "inking a pact" in the sports
biz -- and he didn't even use an agent.
Instead, Allen banged heads directly with the team owner, Sen. Herb Kohl,
making Allen the first guy not living in the White House to pull something
over on a U.S. senator lately.
Anyway, what makes all this interesting is Allen saved himself somewhere
close to $3 million by handling the talks himself -- the maximum 4 percent
of the contract that is allowed under union rules. Of course, that doesn't
include what he paid a bunch of lawyers he probably had working on the
deal, including the estimable Johnnie Cochran, who evidently can be had for
around $500 per hour.
Still, you have to figure Allen came out ahead by a bit.
Now, we realize that what Allen did isn't for everyone, and it's not the
first time it's been done.
This just happened to work out perfectly for him.
Allen actually wanted to stay in Milwaukee, which must be worth a couple
hundred thousand right there. The new collective bargaining agreement
limits the maximum salary, so figuring out what the superstar-to-be was no
problem. Not everyone is going to be able to negotiate for that.
Allen didn't want or need to shake the bushes around the league to see if
anyone else wanted him, something an agent normally does. And he still has
to pay other guys, every year, for what agents often do -- make plane
reservations, watch out for the family, do the taxes, get the car washed
... that type of thing.
Still, you have to figure Allen came out ahead by a bit.
So we're discussing this in one of our high-powered meetings in the CNN/SI
SE boardroom the other day when one of our 82 producers suggested we put
together a chart -- ever since USA TODAY, all these people want are charts
-- on some of the slickest off-the-court moves in the NBA.
Well, damn the chart. We're calling this a list.
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
Timberwolves. Last of the big-time moneygrabbers. Turned down $103
million last season. Ended up with $126 million. Even after an agent's cut,
that's a good move.
Shawn Bradley, Dallas Mavericks. The
slick stick. Made close to $6 million last season. Averaging barely 6
points a game this season. They should pay this guy to not play. And
give him his agent's 4 percent to boot.
David Stern, NBA Commissioner. Makes a reported $7 million a year.
Cost the players much more than that -- much, much more than that -- by
championing the new collective bargaining agreement for the owners. Commish
Slick.
Latrell Sprewell, New York Knicks. Pulled
the ultimate scam on the league -- attacks coach, gets traded to a better
team. It cost him, but he's not playing for the Warriors any more. That has
to be worth something.
The Sacramento
Kings. C'mon. That they still have a team in Sacramento is the slickest
scam pulled by a franchise since the Harlem Globetrotters perfected the
confetti gag.
Jerry Krause, general manager of the Chicago Bulls. Krause won
six NBA championships while paying only one of his superstars, some guy
named Jordan, what he was worth. Scottie Pippen couldn't
nail this slickster down for all his trying.
The Denver
Nuggets. Stole Antonio McDyess away
from the Phoenix Suns,
paying him at least $20 million less than Phoenix would have, largely by
hiding him from some Suns teammates who came to Denver to talk some sense
into him. Sneaky and slick.
Pat Riley, Miami
Heat coach. Slickness personified.
There are lots more of the slick movers and shakers, too.
Jerry West has made a second career out of making the Los Angeles Lakers
competitive through his wheeling and dealing. Grant Hill is as slick
on the court as he is off it. Michael Jordan made $33
million last season just for playing basketball -- a record that now seems
will stand for years -- and parlayed his slick self into millions more off
the court.
It proves that, to be a real player in the NBA, nothing outdoes a good
dose of slickness.
John Donovan is senior writer for CNNSI.com.
Comments? Have some favorite slick moves you'd like to nominate? To e-mail
Donovan, click here.
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