NBA Salaries.. What do you think?

[HiCat]

http://www.insidehoops.com/nbasalaries.shtml

TOP NBA PLAYER SALARIES FOR 2003-04 SEASON
- InsideHoops.com, April 20, 2004 -

RANK PLAYER SALARY
1) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota $28,000,000
2) Shaquille O'Neal, LA Lakers $26,500,000
3) Rasheed Wallace, Detroit $16,990,000
4) Allan Houston, New York $15,937,500
5) Chris Webber, Sacramento $15,937,500
6) Damon Stoudamire, Portland $14,375,000
7) Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Atlanta $13,500,000
8) Ray Allen, Seattle $13,500,000
9) Vin Baker, Boston (disputed) $13,500,000
10) Penny Hardaway, New York $13,500,000
11) Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland $13,500,000
12) Allen Iverson, Philadelphia $13,500,000
13) Stephon Marbury, New York $13,500,000
14) Antonio McDyess, Phoenix $13,500,000
15) Latrell Sprewell, Minnesota $13,500,000
16) Antoine Walker, Dallas $13,500,000
17) Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers $13,498,000
18) Michael Finley, Dallas $13,281,250
19) Tracy McGrady, Orlando $13,279,500
20) Jalen Rose, Toronto $13,279,500
21) Grant Hill, Orlando $13,279,250
22) Keith Van Horn, New York $13,279,000
23) Jason Kidd, New Jersey $13,152,000
24) Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana $13,140,000
25) Tim Duncan, San Antonio $12,676,125
26) Eddie Jones, Miami $12,300,000
27) Brian Grant, Miami $12,200,000
28) Vlade Divac, Sacramento $12,010,000

Are these guys worth the money? What do you think? Do they all belong on the list in terms of performance?

[Chicat]

I think they're all grossly overpaid for playing what is essentially a children's game.

Sincerely,

Alex Rodriguez

[Chicat]

In all seriousness though, there are some bad contracts that show up on that list. Not to hate on a fellow Wildcat, but how is Damon the 6th highest paid player in the NBA? No wonder the owners want to lock out the players again.

[HiCat]

Vin Baker No.9 at 13.5 million? Shareef 13.5 mill? Penny Hardaway 13.5 mill? Brian Grant 12.2 mill? Grant Hill 13.2?

Vin Baker is still playing?

I agree... this is nuts..

[JMarkJohns]

While I think it's unfortunate that at least half of the players that get these contracts never quite live up to expectations...For Garnett, Duncan, the O'Neal's, Kobe and the like...they are deserved.

In his final years, Jordan was earning an average of 30-per...Which was a bargain compared to the revenue generated from from the titles and their memoribilia and Jersey's and the like.

In basketball, more so than any sport, one player is the difference between lottory and the playoffs. Thus, for a great player (or player who could potentially be great), Owners are willing to pay seemingly big bicks to lock 'em down.

Injuries happen, careers can go bad in a hury, because in the League you're always one return to earth from a career-changind, if not ending injury.

I love Insidehoops, but that list is old. Here's an updated one from Hoopshype.
1. Shaquille O'Neal Miami - $27,696,429
2. Dikembe Mutombo New Jersey / Houston - $18,771,511
3. Allan Houston New York - $17,531,250
-. Chris Webber Sacramento - $17,531,250
5. Kevin Garnett Minnesota - $16,000,000
6. Jason Kidd New Jersey - $14,791,000
7. Anfernee Hardaway New York - $14,625,000
-. Antoine Walker Atlanta - $14,625,000
-. Shareef Abdur-Rahim Portland - $14,625,000
-. Stephon Marbury New York - $14,625,000
-. Zydrunas Illgauskas Cleveland - $14,625,000
-. Ray Allen Seattle - $14,625,000
-. Allen Iverson Philadelphia - $14,625,000
14. Michael Finley Dallas - $14,609,375
15. Grant Hill Orlando - $14,487,000
-. Keith Van Horn Milwaukee - $14,487,000
-. Jalen Rose Toronto - $14,487,000
-. Tracy McGrady Houston - $14,487,000
-. Latrell Sprewell Minnesota - $14,462,500
20. Tim Duncan San Antonio - $14,260,640
21. Kobe Bryant LA Lakers - $14,175,000
22. Eddie Jones Miami - $13,455,000
23. Brian Grant LA Lakers - $13,233,434
24. Tim Thomas New York - $12,900,000
25. Antawn Jamison Washington - $12,584,688
-. Vince Carter Toronto - $12,584,688
-. Dirk Nowitzki Dallas - $12,584,688
28. Paul Pierce Boston - $12,569,688
29. Damon Stoudamire Portland - $12,500,000
30. Glenn Robinson Philadelphia - $12,071,250

-Players bolded are ones whom I deem worthy of their cuurent contract.
-Players in italics are ones who prolly deserved the contract at its signing, but due to injury or unforseen circumstances, never quite fulfilled expectations.
-Players left untouched are players who likely got their contract based on potential rather than past production.

Big men are always at a premium, so overpaying for one is understandable in mye eyes...regrettable mostly, but understandable.

I feel that unless you are a top-3 guard, a team should never use one-third of it's cap to sign you. Houston's contract was a joke, but you can't fault the players for taking a contract offer he never should have recieved.

Here's the real prollem.

After the 3/4 year rookie scale contract a player gets, he's then elibable for the MAX if his skills are deserving or potentially deserving. So normally, at the ripe ol' age of 23, a player gets his first MAX contract, then 5/6 years later wants his extension...the extension is an annual bump of up to 15% from the current contract, so if you're making MAX already and then you get a 15% increase, you're going to be making alot of money. Prollem is, that while they are technically still young (30), they have been in the League so long due to early entry that their bodies are those of 34-36 year olds...so, normally within a few years of their extension signing, normally with several years remaining, their bodies break down and the team is left with a burden.

Finley is the perfect example of that. When he signed his extension, he deserved it based on past production and relative young age...now, he's having trouble staying on the court and even getting shots when he is on it...My guess is that McGrady will soon fall into the same catagory. He's been in the League since 1997...that's seven years already on his 25-year old frame and has about five years and 70 mill remaining on his current deal.

[HiCat]

Good post above JM.
Just a note:
"In his final years, Jordan was earning an average of 30-per...Which was a bargain compared to the revenue generated from from the titles and their memoribilia and Jersey's and the like."

If memory serves me, MJ made considerably under 30 million for the majority of his run with Chicago. His base basketball salary was under 2 million a year..(though I may be wrong) that was the bargain of the century for hoops. Imagine getting a guy like Jordan for 1.5 million a year? Below minimum wage in nba numbers.

[JMarkJohns]

You are correct. If there was ever one player to blame on the high Salary of players, it was the 96-98 Jordan. 39-30-31...then walked when he didn't get the nod for 32...

He ould have deserved 50-per for his and his team's production, but he was really the first to get such money. Shaq signed a huge contract shortly thereafter, followed closely by Garnett. After that, Salaries went up drastically, thus the 98-lockout over a salary CAP...Now the contract are slightly better, but one player takes up 1/3 of your payroll. SO if you have one bad contract, yer screwed for the duration...

[budd1e_lee]

thank god paul allen knows how to give out huge contracts, and trade for them

3) Rasheed Wallace, Detroit $16,990,000
6) Damon Stoudamire, Portland $14,375,000
7) Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Atlanta $13,500,000

[Class of 1990]

Originally Posted by JMarkJohns

15. Grant Hill Orlando - $14,487,000
-. Keith Van Horn Milwaukee - $14,487,000
-. Jalen Rose Toronto - $14,487,000
-. Tracy McGrady Houston - $14,487,000
-. Latrell Sprewell Minnesota - $14,462,500

Now I understand what Latrell meant by not being able to feed his family.

Also the Suck My **** has won new fans from the Hustler crowd. Go Latrell Go Latrell Go Latrell Go


Thanks for posting these salaries. Seeing Zydrunas Illgauskas Cleveland - $14,625,000 making more than Tim Duncan San Antonio - $14,260,640 has made my day.

[JMarkJohns]

Duncan is at the beginning of a contract that will pay him about 25 million in the final year, while Illgauskas is in the final year of his, but I know what yer saying and agree.

[GlobalCat]

Not a single player in the NBA deserves more than $1 million a year... period. No athlete in any sport deserves that kind of salary. If they want more, do endorsements.

[JMarkJohns]

I'll disagree with the statement...

Sure it's a game, but if it was only a game, then why do fans take it so damn seriously?

Fact is, Owners make hundreds of millions of dollars off their teams. Why should the "workers" only get a fraction of the earnings? That's just stupid.

Do I think they are overpaid? Mostly...but every once in a while a player, no matter the sports, comes along that generates so much profit fer the team and the League that fer him to only get 1 million is robbery.

Besides, If an athlete gets injured, he will lose his endorsments. That's not fair.

The money will be made reguardless, so you might as well pay the players who generated it fer ya.

The Money will either line the pockets of the Athletes who put in the time and are the ones with the skill or the Billionaire owners who already swindle everyone they can...

In my minds eye, the owners are worse than the Players...Sure it's their team, but it's the players talent that makes their money...SO PAY UP, SUCKA...