Such as Joe Johnson, formally of the Suns. Who has told the Phoenix team not to match the Hawks offer because, well, he got miffed that negotiations right after the season did not proceed to his expectations.
For some reason, Mr. Johnson thought that his talent alone warranted the Suns to just max out his contract and be done with it. The Suns, already carrying maxed out contracts for Marion and Nash, with newly acquired Kurt Thomas also pulling major change and Stoudemire coming up for big bucks next year, wisely waited for the market to dictate Johnson's worth.
Amare's resigning carried a bit more weight then Johnson's above average shooting guard skills to consider long term in salary negotiations. But Johnson did not see it that way, and now has no wish to return to a team on the verge of championship status. Instead, he opted for the constantly rebuilding Atlanta Hawks, a team that will not greatly improve any time soon. Same salary, but he prefers to be a big fish in an indifferent city instead of a key roll player on a winner, in a town just about every other NBA player WANTS to go to.
No clearer answer to the question regarding what many of us inherently already knew. Some players only care about their money and their playing time and not at all about really winning.
Which brings me to my point. I was listening to an interesting discussion on the morning radio involving Brian Wheeler, who does the Blazer games. (or once did, not sure). His opinion of Bonzi Wells while he was in Portland was a major reason why I think this deal Petrie did to bring him to Sacramento is highly questionable. The baggage Bonzi has outweighs his talent, but more importantly, it brings into question his desire to participate on a winner.
Wheeler had several examples of players who exhibited less then desirable qualities you want for players earning the money these guys bring down.
1. When the Lakers came back and won that seven game series several years back, coming back from 15 down late in the fourth, the flight home, at least for Wheeler, was depressing. He was watching the tape of the game on the flight when Rasheed Wallace came up front and started watching as well. Wheeler finally said "I can't watch this any longer". Wallace said something along the line of "I can watch this no problem. I did everything I could to win, so I have no problem with the outcome."
He was not hurting at all over the loss!!
Wheeler feels that Larry Brown in Detriot must have convinced him to change that 'tude, because it was sickening to him when it happened. He thought many of the Portland players were relieved they lost because they had vacation plans!
2. A few years before that, Denver, the eighth seed, upset the #1 seed Sonics in the playoffs. Images of Mutombo hugging the basketball after the upset fifth game were still in Karl's mind when, as a motivational means to inspire his players, he showed that tape to his players prior to the first rematch with the Nuggets the following December.
After it ended, Sam Perkins, one of the veterans Karl relied on to inspire his younger players, stood up and announced that if Karl expected that tape to inspire them in the Denver game coming up, he was sadly mistaken, because, as Sam said then, "That is last year's news and it didn't matter to any of them any more".
3. More recently, after a playoff game the Blazers had just lost, many of the Portland players were gathered around a TV set in the locker room in full view of the media, watching and joking about the game, and essentially not acting like they cared at all they were on the verge of elimination. Scotty Pippen walked in, noticed the media and what his teammates were doing, walked over to the TV and slammed the doors shut and told the other players to stop acting like idiots and show some remorse. (his actual words can't be repeated).
Maybe some sort of "I care if my team wins or loses and will show my displeasue if we lose" clause should be included in those multi-millionaire contracts these players all expect is their due.
