Brian Cardinal. Adonal Foyle. Michael Doleac. Troy Hudson. Marquis Daniels. Mehmet Okur. Rafer Alston. Any of these names ring a bell? Don't feel too bad, if they don't sound familiar. I've got no more than a passing knowledge of them, either. For the record, they are all basketball players. NBA players, in fact. They are also soon-to-be millionaires.
I'm sure a few diehard hoops fans can easily provide us with some detailed information on each, but they would be the true zealous NBA followers. They are not household NBA names like Shaq, Iverson or Duncan. However, if the rumors are true and my questionable math skills are correct, these seven players are about to earn a collective $239 million dollars. That's an average of $34 million a piece. In per year income, that's approximately just over $5 million a season. Not bad for seven guys few non-NBA geeks could identify.
This is where sports' big contracts hurt teams and frustrate fans. If a guy like Shaq made $239 million in total salary, almost regardless of the length of the deal, I think fans would say "Sure, it's insane cash, but Shaq is a dominant superstar". I believe fans would find the money ridiculous, but understand that elite players, guys who alter games and sometimes entire franchises, can command huge money.
When seven guys, who appear to be unlikely Hall of Famers, who are not even amongst the elite players of their day, can command around five million a season, fans are alienated, the players lose perspective and teams are financial tied to role players for extended periods of time.
I have nothing against any of the seven NBA players I use as an example. All are going to be considered important performers on their teams. But, let's review their career averages for a moment.
Alston has averaged 6.2 points per game and 3.5 assists per game in his career. He is rumored to be signing a $28 million/5 year deal. Cardinal has averaged 7.5 ppg and 3.4 rebounds per game. His new deal is for $38 million over six seasons. Daniels has scored 8.5 ppg and averaged 2.1 assists. He, like Cardinal, appears headed for a $38 million/six year contract.
Doleac has mustered 5.6 ppg/3.6 rpg and is about to make $12 million over four years. Foyle, who at 4.6 ppg and 5.1 rpg, is about to sign for $42 million over six seasons. Hudson's career averages are 9.4 ppg and 3.6 apg. His newest contract will net him $31 million in five campaigns. Okur, fresh off a NBA title with Detroit, is the big winner. The man who has averaged 8.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg was about to join Utah for six years at a figure somewhere around $50 million.
Forget scoring titles, All-Star Game appearances, and MVP awards, not one has managed to average ten points a night for their career. I believe only Okur has won a championship, I admit I could be very wrong about that, but he barely saw the light of day down the playoff stretch.
When players posting big numbers sign big offers, it's commonplace. Crazy, but commonplace. Fans just expect the stars to live up to their previous high performance level. When unheard of players crank in lottery-like earnings, fans tend to get a bit impatient. They expect star caliber production from guys who have never achieved such heights.
Now, I'm sure some will think I'm player-hating here. Really, I'm pretty much pro-athlete when it comes to salaries. Unlike almost any other profession, athletes are not only the employee, but the product, as well. Even in professions where the employee is the product, how many of them face the same travel demands, media scrutiny and public criticism that athletes do? Few, if any.
I don't begrudge the players signing for that kind of cash, they are doing the smart thing, but these type of deals can cripple a team. They are big money, long term deals to players that from a distance appear to be slightly more than role players.
While few people not obsessed with pro hoops can tell me anything about these particular NBA free agents, many of them will become households names if they continue to post their career marks throughout the length of their new contracts. They will become the latest flag bearers of today's overpaid athlete.
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