Cleveland Sports Mount Rushmore
November 3, 2011What Do You Want to See This Weekend Against Houston?
November 3, 2011
Fox Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico polled seven NBA players. The result: all of them want to play basketball, even if it means agreeing to a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income. Though he was not apart of the sample provided by Amico, Cavaliers big man Samardo Samuels throws his name into the hat of those who want to lace up their high-tops and start earning a living once again.
Echoing his tweet from earlier this week, Samuels sat down for an exclusive interview with a Jamaican newspaper, saying that he – perhaps not being a part of the one percent, earning slightly above the league minimum – is just ready to play basketball. Though he, like several of his teammates, is taking classes and working on his bachelor’s degree, Samuels has been doing everything he can to stay in shape and rehabilitate from the wrist injury which prematurely ended his 2010-11 season.
Now fully healthy, the Cavaliers forward is looking forward to improving off of a rookie campaign that saw flashes of brilliance occasionally clashing with a one-dimensional post presence. The unfortunate part, as has been well-documented since July, is the currently locked out state of the players.
“It has cost me around US$30,000 in salary for first two weeks,” said Samuels. “It is tough because I have been working all my life for this. I have my parents around me and so they don’t let me spend money on unnecessary stuff, and so I just buy things that I need.”
Wednesday night marked what should have been the Cavs’ first contest of the 2011-12 NBA season. Samuels should have been suiting up alongside rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, ushering in the second year of Byron Scott’s tenure with the franchise – who knows, Samuels may have even unveiled his improved jump shot against the unsuspecting Eastern Conference runner-ups. Instead, the 260-pound forward is forced to work out on his own, using the facilities at Louisville rather than those in Independence.
This week has been marred with rumors that the NBPA’s Derek Fisher is in the back pocket of David Stern, an allegation which was promptly shot down like the very offer the players have yet to agree to. The two sides will meet again this weekend. Hopefully Billy Hunter sticks around a little longer than he did roughly one week earlier and the New Expression can turn the page to Season 2.
14 Comments
Just like last NBA work stoppage, the bad money management skills of NBA players will cause them to fold. Not so much the fringe guys like Samardo as the overextended guys making “just” $3-6M who now are out money to pay their mortgages, dozen vehicles, babes, relatives and hanger-ons.
In the immortal words of P.Ewing during the last one: “People say we make a lot of money. But we have a lot of expenses.” I give it 2 more weeks, at most.
agreed Harv…. once they start missing more n more paychecks it will end.
I’ve been reading a lot of stuff about the “lesser” players who would be happy accepting the 50/50 so they can play again. But the big time players won’t agree to it. Way to represent the entire players association guys!
How does a grown man need his parents around to know not to buy things you dont need and cant afford? Dont these athletes take any sort of money management classes in college?
@#3… they may have taken the classes, but doesn’t mean they paid attention. They were probably thinking, “Who cares, I’ll be a big time star & will have so much money i can blow it all & still have enough to live lavishly.”
Believe me, college athletes are not willing to look at the future objectively. At least a vast majority are not.
“How does a grown man need his parents around to know not to buy things you dont need and cant afford?”
He’s of legal adult age, sure, but he’s what..21? 22? Far from what one would deem a seasoned adult.
True…I sometimes forgot how young some of them are. But in general it amazes me how these guys can make so much money but spend so little time making sure they dont blow it all. They must take money advice from the government, just keep spending it and we will figure out how to make more later. lol
someone needs to do a story on the people who work for teams doing concessions or selling tickets, etc. These are the people who are hurting the most and need the money. Are these people going to be paid missed wages like the NFL employees were? Also, if I’m Samuels (or a guy like Samuels) who is a fringe player making the league minimum I save every penny b/c you never know when you will get cut and the money stops and have you have to get a ‘real job.’ I know the players used to get 57% of BRI but there is nothing more fair than 50/50. Thank God every day you were giving the height, talent, and athleticism to play a kid’s game for hundreds of thousands or millions or dollars.
I spent money I didn’t have when I was that age, I can only imagine if I had money….
So does anyone have NBA 2k12? Can you do a sim of every game they should have played and provide a box score and recap?
I want to know how my rookies did against those old Celtics last night.
Hurricane, I know for a fact that a lot of – if not all of – the Cavaliers ticket people are also responsible for the other QLA properties (Monsters, Gladiators, Crush, etc). While these items aren’t necessarily similarly valued commodities, they’re occupational responsibilities. Concessions are subcontracted, so there is reallocation involved. The ones getting wholly crushed are those who operate businesses outside of QLA who depend on foot traffic.
Nicko – Unfortunately, rookies aren’t stock in 2K12.
oh no! Well I am glad I haven’t gotten it……yet
But is basketball ready for Samardo Samuels?
Hunter should be canned. The guy is clueless. Players need to realize he is not helping the cause, considering they are losing paychecks now.
Thanks for the info, Scott. Makes me sick when athletes are arguing over millions when some people just need their $10/ hr to survive.