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Good article.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn...ic.php?t=30128
How refreshing: A superstar who chooses winning over money
Stan McNeal
Sporting News
Two differences between baseball's best player and the NBA's best player: Alex Rodriguez says show me the money. Tim Duncan says show someone else the money. A-Rod says he wants to win. Duncan does win.
This isn't meant to rip on A-Rod. Well, maybe a little. Mostly, this is to show that when a special player such as Duncan hooks up with a special coach such as Gregg Popovich, the special times can last for a long, long time.
The day after A-Rod, 32, opted out on the final three years and $80 million on his contract, Duncan, 31, also made news (albeit more quietly) by agreeing to a two-year extension that will keep him with the Spurs for the next five years. Oh yeah, he also accepted about $10 million less than he could have demanded -- and certainly would have gotten -- to give the Spurs payroll flexibility. Granted, with him pulling in an average annual salary of $20 million, no one in the next 10 generations of Duncans is likely to go hungry. But in an era notorious for greed that extends far beyond A-Rod, Duncan's gesture was as rare as harmony on the Lakers.
Duncan didn't just say he cares about winning more than he cares about megamillions. He actually did something about it. Accepting less money ensures, as he says, that "in the latter years of my career, I can have a team around me that I'll want to be on."
Duncan shrugs off his decision so casually you almost wonder if the Spurs had to convince him to take as much money as he did. Well, don't. "He's not foolish," Popovich says. "He didn't want to be treated like a pauper, and he didn't want to break the bank. But we're very lucky -- we know that."
They're very successful, too. Thanks to their franchise player and coach, the Spurs are the front-runners to become the most dominant franchise in American pro sports this decade. They have won three championships in the past five seasons and should be in contention for the next five. The Spurs returned every player on their roster from last year's Finals, and their big three -- Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- are the healthiest they've been in years.
"Our smoothest training camp. It was like grease," Popovich says. Adds Duncan -- and remember, the Spurs are as stingy with compliments as they are with open looks for opponents: "There's a comfort level that hasn't been there following some championship years."
With so much in their favor, the Spurs could make noise about winning consecutive championships for the first time. But that's not something that concerns Popovich. "I'm not very impressed with repeating," he says. "If we don't repeat, I'm going to live a fine life. You'll never hear me say, 'Gosh. I wish we would have repeated.' "
So the Spurs will go about their business as usual. They will use the early part of the season to see what bench players such as point guard Darius Washington and forward Matt Bonner can contribute. They will introduce a few wrinkles to their motion offense. They will make sure their regulars don't pile up heavy minutes.
They also will do their best to avoid the spotlight. The Spurs express no disappointment that the Suns again are the trendy pick to win the le. Instead, they say stuff like this, from Brent Barry: "We're so boring. We get maybe one dunk a month, and that usually happens in practice. Phoenix will run more fast breaks in the first quarter than we're going to get in a month."
At their best, the Spurs do fast-break and play a pretty brand of team basketball on both ends of the floor. At their worst, they still play like they have a clue. "They don't spend a lot of time thinking about if something will work," Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni says. "They know it will work. They've seen it work. A newcomer comes in, he's given a role and told to just do his job."
And if he wants to be part of something special, he listens.
Good article.
:thumbsup
I'll take that as a compliment.
You're some tough compe ion!
This article is a stretch.
Duncan is one the highest paid players in the league and will continue to be one with his newest contract.
How is this "pay cut" any different than the one Shaq took last year (or was it two years ago)?
When guys are criticized for taking money over winning, 20 million a year is usually MUCH more than theyre even asking for. We're suppose to applaud Duncan for having his cake and eating it too?
Grant Hill is a much better example of a player taking a pay cut so that he can play for a winning team.
and the hate continues....
Grant Hill is on his last legs and trying to ride the curtails to play for a winning team. You probably picked the worst example to make your "point."Grant Hill was getting paid MAX money back in Detroit and early Orlando for sitting away entire seasons due to his injuries.......
The difference is Tim Duncan is ALREADY playing for a winning team.
And a Multi-Championship winning team at that.
Duncan did not take a pay cut so HE could join a winning team.
Duncan took a pay cut so someone ELSE could join a winning team.
Grant Hill is on his last legs and trying to ride the curtails to play for a winning team. You probably picked the worst example to make your "point."
no one in their right mind chooses anything over CASH. Duncan still gets another $20 mil every year.
What the is a curtail?Grant Hill is on his last legs and trying to ride the curtails to play for a winning team. You probably picked the worst example to make your "point."
And Grant Hill took the league minimum to play for a winning team (when he was being offered the full MLE to play elsewhere).
Tim Duncan took a small pay cut to help keep the Spurs compe ive, but he's still making crazy money. Duncan just found that he could have his cake and eat it too. There's nothing that he can do 23 million a year that he can't do with 20 million. Spurs should say "thank you", but this article is way over the top with its praise of the "selfless" Duncan.
Grant Hill is a much better example of someone who chose winning over money.
Nah, you're right, dude. Duncan's really a complete asshole, but we have to pretend to like him or he'll shoot us, kind of like Voldemort. , now I have to move.
(edited for iness)
Oh really? I didn't see Grant having a problem taking money from the Pistons and the Magic. I love Grant, but clearly the Magic didn't get any return on their investment.
Yep, and Duncan accepted a max contract (not a penny less) from the Spurs before as well.
Game. Set. Match.
I think your Duncan/Hill comparison is forgetting one fact:
Duncan has EARNED every penny of a max deal. He EARNED another max extension. The Spurs even said that if he asked, he would have gotten a max extension. Any team in the league would have paid that amount plus for even an aging Tim Duncan. Duncan took less money than his market value.
Hill earned 1/16th of his Orlando deal. Only a few teams were interested in Hill, and most of them were only offering the vet minimum. Hill took his market value for a free agent coming to a contender.
How can you honestly compare the two? If the Suns gave Hill a contract for 10 mil, and he said he'll take 7, that's a valid comparison. Hill was only offered the minimum. That simple.
Hill took 90 mil from Orlando and didn't do !
hahaha
Weaksauce.
But Duncan lived up to his contract. Hill didn't.
Game. Set. Match.
Please someone tell me.....What is it with Suns fan? Is it the dry heat?
your examples are as pathetic as your team.
He was getting minimal offers from other teams. Stop treating Hill like he still warrants a max contract.
HAWe're so boring. We get maybe one dunk a month, and that usually happens in practice. Phoenix will run more fast breaks in the first quarter than we're going to get in a month."
LMAO!
Do you all realize that buy arguing that Duncan shouldn't have take as big a pay cut that you inherently lose this argument?
First of all, lets educate you morons with some facts:
So Hill took substantially less money because he wanted to win.Despite the fact that the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs are offering only the veteran minimum salary for next season to Grant Hill, reports are that Hill is almost guaranteed to join the Suns.
Detroit, Toronto and Orlando will reportedly be making substanitally higher offers to Hill, but early word around the league is that he wants to join the Suns for $1.2 million. If the Suns can get Hill in the desert at such a low cost, it could end up being a move that rewards both Hill and the Suns with the NBA le they've been looking for.
How well each respective player EARNED their last contract is irrelevant. Who made the bigger sacrifice to play for a winner?
Your collective argument is just sad. Duncan took a small pay cut that still puts him in the top ten salary wise. Hill took around 20% of what he was being offered to play for the Suns because he wanted to win.
If you want to say that Duncan shouldn't have to make as big of a sacrifice since he's earned every penny, thats fine. What you fail to realize is thats not what this article is saying. Don't tell me that he's doing this incredibly noble thing by taking 20 million instead of 23.
I don't know why I even bother. Texans can't even seem to understand the simplest forms of logic. Maybe you guys should just forget about professional sports and just stick to rodeos.
Well, by wanting to win, he just lost. The way the Suns organization is treating Hill's playing time, his career will be probably be over in 2 months time.
Educate us "morons"? I think it is you who failed to understand what the article is all about. Memo: It is about a certain individual who had won championships, who had solidified a franchise, who had his contract extended and took a paycut so someone like Grant Hill can have the opportunity to win another championship with him.
The article is not about a former superstar, with no championship resume who is willing to take a paycut just to win.
Dumb ass.
Thanks for the article Duncan228, good article.
And for all the arguing , I think that Duncan is Selfish in a GOOD way. He cares more about himself winning later in his career than if he has another 10 mil in the bank. More about he and his TEAM’S standing as an all-time NBA great, than some bling he can wear around his neck or a couple of Bentleys in the garage. He is being selfish...only in a respectable way, and for the “right” reasons.
It is just a matter of what you want as a person in life.
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