David West signs for the minimum

[IBetYou]

and people see this as admirable? Warped more like! Seems he's buying a championship ring for about $11mil. What a coward. Very unsporting. I have lost all respect for him.

[meader99]

and people see this as admirable? Warped more like! Seems he's buying a championship ring for about $11mil. What a coward. Very unsporting. I have lost all respect for him.

Im sure he cares what you think when he's dancing at the Spurs championship parade next June.

[IBetYou]

Cavs are winning the championship. It's a LOCK.

[IBetYou]

My comment was about the general attitude anyway. Twitterverse commending him for "putting team first". It's warped.

[jtoler]

Funny when guys take a lot of money they're greedy, when they take less, they're warped cowards.

[2Shirts]

Good luck with that - have you ever witnessed a Cleveland sports team win anything.

Cavs are winning the championship. It's a LOCK.

[meader99]

Cavs are winning the championship. It's a LOCK.

Now it all makes sense. You aren't really disappointed that West took the minimum.....you're pissed cause he didn't take the minimum and go to Cleveland.

[brodie]

shouldve went to the clippers

[IBetYou]

Funny when guys take a lot of money they're greedy, when they take less, they're warped cowards.

No, it's a point of view. Obviously I don't agree with both those statements. Society takes the former, I take the latter. Nothing noble or heroic about selling out $$$ wise so he can have his victory parade, and be called a champ . Now if he signed for all he could get and given some of it to charity... there would be nobility in that.

I was reflecting on the state of our times - thinking that goes beyond some on here - I don't care who wins the championship FFS I'm not stupid enough to tie up my money in something 11 months away, at such short odds.

[meader99]

No, it's a point of view. Obviously I don't agree with both those statements. Society takes the former, I take the latter. Nothing noble or heroic about selling out $$$ wise so he can have his victory parade, and be called a champ . Now if he signed for all he could get and given some of it to charity... there would be nobility in that.

I was reflecting on the state of our times - thinking that goes beyond some on here - I don't care who wins the championship FFS I'm not stupid enough to tie up my money in something 11 months away, at such short odds.

Most people play for championships, not the money. Guys that have their career winding down and have no ring are usually more than willing to leave money on the table for a shot at being a winner. In Lebrons case, he makes more money off the court than he does on, so that can beg the question, how much is enough?

[IBetYou]

The question is why he feels a ring would validate his career. Certainly not the first to do it (karl malone springs to mind). If James left the Cavs and won a championship on a vet min deal with the Spurs would he be considered a champ? It's circumventing the salary cap - cheating the salary cap - to be a winner. It's bullshit. His choice. GL to him. But he is a frontrunning coward

[Rich Boy]

West sucks, wont matter anyways relax guy

[meader99]

The question is why he feels a ring would validate his career. Certainly not the first to do it (karl malone springs to mind). If James left the Cavs and won a championship on a vet min deal with the Spurs would he be considered a champ? It's circumventing the salary cap - cheating the salary cap - to be a winner. It's bullshit. His choice. GL to him. But he is a frontrunning coward

James didn't sign for the minimum, but he took less money to go to Miami and play with wade and bosh... So did he circumventing the system as well? So is Lebron a front running coward?

[Grivas_Digeni]

James didn't sign for the minimum, but he took less money to go to Miami and play with wade and bosh... So did he circumventing the system as well? So is Lebron a front running coward?

fantastic point

[IBetYou]

If I remember rightly he took about 10% less than the max from a team without his bird rights. I think we can agree he played a significant role on that team -he wasn't jumping on a bandwagon. West took about 90% less than his market value to jump on what was already the best team in the west without him. But yeah, fantastic point!

[IBetYou]

I might add, less state taxes it would have been about the same any non-texas/ florida team could have offered him had the big 3 formed elsewhere.

[UPCOMINGPLAYER]

My comment was about the general attitude anyway. Twitterverse commending him for "putting team first". It's warped.

Last year people went at Melo saying he doesn't have his priorities right chasing money instead of success, now you are here saying West is using money to buy success (which in all honesty is stupid if you take the time to really think about it.)
Look at this; A veteran who is over 34 years and has spent over a decade in the NBA with no Championship to show, decided he has made a lot of money in the league and decided that sacrificing making more money to at least have a real shot at getting a ring has a warped mind? Do you know how hard such a decision will be? He has made over $80mil in the NBA alone and an extra 11+ doesn't mean as much as getting the one prize every NBA star dreams of.
Thing is no matter what any one does in this life there will always be people like you sitting from the side line analysing and critiquing your every decision.

[meader99]

Last year people went at Melo saying he doesn't have his priorities right chasing money instead of success, now you are here saying West is using money to buy success (which in all honesty is stupid if you take the time to really think about it.)
Look at this; A veteran who is over 34 years and has spent over a decade in the NBA with no Championship to show, decided he has made a lot of money in the league and decided that sacrificing making more money to at least have a real shot at getting a ring has a warped mind? Do you know how hard such a decision will be? He has made over $80mil in the NBA alone and an extra 11+ doesn't mean as much as getting the one prize every NBA star dreams of.
Thing is no matter what any one does in this life there will always be people like you sitting from the side line analysing and critiquing your every decision.

Correct. He's not the first guy to take significantly less than his "market value" to get the ring that has alluded him during his career. Not sure why anyone would be bothered by a guy taking less in an industry that is grossly overpaid to begin with.