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Strange list - a mix of overpaid underqualified coaches and players, and some of the most talented players in the game today.
http://www.realgm.com/src_twoplusthe...en_in_the_nba/
The NBA is full of lucky men. Lately basketball is as much about millions of dollars, cars, and beautiful women as it is about talent, determination, and winning. For example, the Miami Heat ’s Shaquille O’Neal makes $20 million dollars a season. That’s more than some entire nations are worth, and O’Neal earns that over a six-month period.
While Shaq is a pretty luck guy, there are some within the NBA that are even luckier. Out of the over 450 players, 30 coaches, and countless executives in the league I have come up with the thirteen luckiest guys in the NBA.
13. Keith Van Horn, Dallas Mavericks – Mark Cuban will pay Van Horn over $15 million this season, despite those long white socks. The often injured forward will be paid somewhere around $10,000 per minute he is on the court for the surging Dallas Mavericks .
12. Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats – He was the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year, and is a former NCAA champion. Although Okafor has dealt with a great deal of injures in his short career he is averaging a double-double this season, and is among the Eastern Conference’s best centers. He makes my list because he earned a degree in Finance at UCONN in just three years with a 3.8 GPA, and still named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2004 NCAA Final Four.
11. Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks – The man has virtually gotten away with everything he’s ever said. I mean the man said he owned Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson and lived to tell about it. He’s worth millions of dollars, and is a mainstay on the Dallas sideline. He’s the closest thing the NBA has to George Steinbrenner, but he’s more entertaining. I also believe he’s the only owner in the NBA who writes a blog that people would actually enjoy reading.
10. Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings – Artest is well worth the $6.5 million dollars that the Kings will pay him this season, but is he worth the whole package? He’s on this list because a team still wanted him after all his cartoon antics in Indiana. It’s only a matter of time before he’ll screw up again and another team will take a shot at taming the beast within Artest. At that point he’ll move up even higher on my list.
9. Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics – He’s only on this list because he still has a job in Boston. During his short tenure in Boston he’s already pulled the trigger on ten trades, and he still has time to shake up the roster more this season. The Celtics have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and don’t even look as though they’ll qualify this year.
8. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs – Duncan makes this list because not only is he one of the best players in NBA history, but he’s also one of the most professional. He’s a two-time MVP winner and a three-time NBA champion, who also won the Finals MVP in each of those series. He’s an eight-time all-star, and was the number one overall pick in the 1997 league draft. Despite that handsome resume he plays with less iness than anyone else in the NBA.
7. Larry Brown, New York Knicks – He’s getting paid $5 million dollars to coach the lowly Knicks. If New York holds their current win percentage of .28, they’ll finish the season with 23 victories, and would be paying Brown about $220,000 per victory. The only reason Brown isn’t higher on this list is the fact that he is the coach of the New York Knicks .
6. Brian Grant, Phoenix Suns – Although Grant is a solid role player, he’s getting paid a very generous $16 million by both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns this season. The Lakers are picking up most of his tab because they waived him in the summer of 2005, but he’s still 10th highest paid player in the NBA. He’s also collecting his salary while he rests from right knee surgery.
5. Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat – Not only does Shaq get paid $20 million by the Heat, but he also is a three-time former NBA champion and was named Finals MVP for three consecutive seasons (2000-2002). O’Neal also won a Gold Medal in the Olympic Games, is a former Rookie of the Year, was named as one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players in History, and also is a former winner of the MVP award. And oh yea, he’s also a cop in Miami.
4. Anfernee Hardaway, New York Knicks – Hardaway will earn over $15 million dollars this season, and he’s only appeared in four games for the Knicks because of a severe knee injury. If he remains on the sideline for the remainder of the season New York will have paid him more than $1.5 million dollars per point scored this year.
3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers – Kobe is arguably the most notable basketball player these days and rightfully so. He’s on one of the leagues most popular and well-known teams, and he’s extremely talented. He’s lucky because he screwed up, and not only did the nation forgive him, but so did his beautiful wife. At least he’s making people happy by scoring points. But you have to feel bad for the guy. He was only paid $2,400 per point on the night of his 81-point outburst. Come on! Penny gets $1.5 million per point!
2. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs – He has a championship ring, a French rap album, and he’s dating Eva Longoria. Does it get any better? He makes $8.5 million dollars this season, and his salary increases by one million dollars each year for the next five years. He also has the honor of playing with number eight on my ‘Lucky List.’
1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers – The only player in the NBA who could contend with Kobe Bryant as far as marketability and talent go. He’s the youngest Rookie of the Year winner in NBA history, and will likely receive the biggest paycheck in NBA history once his initial rookie contract expires. He also has his own commercial in which he stars as all of the characters, and all of this occurred before it became legal for him to drink.
Strange list - a mix of overpaid underqualified coaches and players, and some of the most talented players in the game today.
Thats just crazy....Shaquille O’Neal makes $20 million dollars a season. That’s more than some entire nations are worth,
Tony Parker would have made #1 on that list if he were dating me instead
He was only paid $2,400 per point on the night of his 81-point outburst. Come on! Penny gets $1.5 million per point!
Good Lord...
Jeez shaq makes 20 mil and that's after he restructured his contract in Miami.
Tony Parker would have made #1 on that list if he were dating me instead
The author was absolutely right about Timmy. He's the man!
It's criminal that Grant and Hardaway are earning that much coin.
1a. Robert Horry, San Antonio Spurs - With career averages of 7.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game over 14 seasons a player would normally just be glad to have lasted so long in the Big Show and be able to tell his grandkids one day about all of the famous players who kicked his arse on the court. Instead, Big Shot Bob presents a compelling case for Hall of Fame enshrinement once he steps off the hardwood for good.
Yeah, I do not understand the point of the article. The only luck involved with Tim, that I can see, was the Spurs luck in being able to draft him. Everything else was hard work by Tim and the Spurs organization.
That list is pretty stupid.
The way to interpret the Duncan selection is that we are lucky Duncan doesn't have a ego too big for San Antonio.
I agree
Is Bryant "Big Country" Reeves still collecting a paycheck?
Big Country was such a hoser dude.
I don't think I would call Emeka Okafor "lucky."
He earned that.
Agreed. Duncan must be the most down to earth superstar in all pro sports.
how about this, who's the most unluckiest players?
Darko - He's got a some talent, but was never able to develop himself because of Larry and Flip.
Shawn Bradley - He's been dunked on more than any other 7'6 player in history... , hes been dunked on more than just about ANY player in history.
but if you are talking about players that are currently playing... id go with Kevin Garnett. he is such a great player, but the T-Wolves front office just dont seem committed to getting him a winning combo. they just keep bringing in big names, expecting them to just gel together. i feel bad for the guy.
Someone should probably let the author know that Cuban's worth Billions, not millions. Who is this guy, Dr. Evil?
^
I thought I read that he's only worth a billion now and dropping steadily since 2002.
only a billlion, as opposed to multi billions!?!?
Interesting.
Must be blowing through the cash hardcore, and business he owns arent dong that great.
The Benefairy or whatever show he ran probably cost him some money.
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