<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The NBA is full of lucky men. Lately basketball is as much about millions of dollars, cars, and beautiful women as it is about talent, determination, and winning. For example, the Miami Heat ?s Shaquille O?Neal makes $20 million dollars a season. That?s more than some entire nations are worth, and O?Neal earns that over a six-month period. While Shaq is a pretty luck guy, there are some within the NBA that are even luckier. Out of the over 450 players, 30 coaches, and countless executives in the league I have come up with the thirteen luckiest guys in the NBA. 13. Keith Van Horn, Dallas Mavericks ? Mark Cuban will pay Van Horn over $15 million this season, despite those long white socks. The often injured forward will be paid somewhere around $10,000 per minute he is on the court for the surging Dallas Mavericks . 12. Emeka Okafor, Charlotte Bobcats ? He was the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year, and is a former NCAA champion. Although Okafor has dealt with a great deal of injures in his short career he is averaging a double-double this season, and is among the Eastern Conference?s best centers. He makes my list because he earned a degree in Finance at UCONN in just three years with a 3.8 GPA, and still named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2004 NCAA Final Four. 11. Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks ? The man has virtually gotten away with everything he?s ever said. I mean the man said he owned Lakers? coach Phil Jackson and lived to tell about it. He?s worth millions of dollars, and is a mainstay on the Dallas sideline. He?s the closest thing the NBA has to George Steinbrenner, but he?s more entertaining. I also believe he?s the only owner in the NBA who writes a blog that people would actually enjoy reading. 10. Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings ? Artest is well worth the $6.5 million dollars that the Kings will pay him this season, but is he worth the whole package? He?s on this list because a team still wanted him after all his cartoon antics in Indiana. It?s only a matter of time before he?ll screw up again and another team will take a shot at taming the beast within Artest. At that point he?ll move up even higher on my list. 9. Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics ? He?s only on this list because he still has a job in Boston. During his short tenure in Boston he?s already pulled the trigger on ten trades, and he still has time to shake up the roster more this season. The Celtics have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and don?t even look as though they?ll qualify this year. 8. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs ? Duncan makes this list because not only is he one of the best players in NBA history, but he?s also one of the most professional. He?s a two-time MVP winner and a three-time NBA champion, who also won the Finals MVP in each of those series. He?s an eight-time all-star, and was the number one overall pick in the 1997 league draft. Despite that handsome resume he plays with less cockiness than anyone else in the NBA. 7. Larry Brown, New York Knicks ? He?s getting paid $5 million dollars to coach the lowly Knicks. If New York holds their current win percentage of .28, they?ll finish the season with 23 victories, and would be paying Brown about $220,000 per victory. The only reason Brown isn?t higher on this list is the fact that he is the coach of the New York Knicks . 6. Brian Grant, Phoenix Suns ? Although Grant is a solid role player, he?s getting paid a very generous $16 million by both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns this season. The Lakers are picking up most of his tab because they waived him in the summer of 2005, but he?s still 10th highest paid player in the NBA. He?s also collecting his salary while he rests from right knee surgery. 5. Shaquille O?Neal, Miami Heat ? Not only does Shaq get paid $20 million by the Heat, but he also is a three-time former NBA champion and was named Finals MVP for three consecutive seasons (2000-2002). O?Neal also won a Gold Medal in the Olympic Games, is a former Rookie of the Year, was named as one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players in History, and also is a former winner of the MVP award. And oh yea, he?s also a cop in Miami. 4. Anfernee Hardaway, New York Knicks ? Hardaway will earn over $15 million dollars this season, and he?s only appeared in four games for the Knicks because of a severe knee injury. If he remains on the sideline for the remainder of the season New York will have paid him more than $1.5 million dollars per point scored this year. 3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers ? Kobe is arguably the most notable basketball player these days and rightfully so. He?s on one of the leagues most popular and well-known teams, and he?s extremely talented. He?s lucky because he screwed up, and not only did the nation forgive him, but so did his beautiful wife. At least he?s making people happy by scoring points. But you have to feel bad for the guy. He was only paid $2,400 per point on the night of his 81-point outburst. Come on! Penny gets $1.5 million per point! 2. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs ? He has a championship ring, a French rap album, and he?s dating Eva Longoria. Does it get any better? He makes $8.5 million dollars this season, and his salary increases by one million dollars each year for the next five years. He also has the honor of playing with number eight on my ?Lucky List.? 1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers ? The only player in the NBA who could contend with Kobe Bryant as far as marketability and talent go. He?s the youngest Rookie of the Year winner in NBA history, and will likely receive the biggest paycheck in NBA history once his initial rookie contract expires. He also has his own commercial in which he stars as all of the characters, and all of this occurred before it became legal for him to drink. </div> http://www.realgm.com/src_twoplusthefoul/9...men_in_the_nba/ No Jerome James mention?
I'm not quite sure why Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Emeka Okafor up there. All they did was list their accomplishments, not their luck. I think Isiah Thomas should definetly be on that list if Danny Ainge is.
How about Alonzo Mourning? He's picked up a huge payout from his old contract, while playing for a contending team in the Heat. The best of both worlds.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chutney:</div><div class="quote_post">How about Alonzo Mourning? He's picked up a huge payout from his old contract, while playing for a contending team in the Heat. The best of both worlds.</div> He deserves it given what he's been through personally. Speaking of payouts. One of the luckiest guys, although not still in the league, is Luc Longley. The Knicks gave him a stupidly lucrative deal (their trademark), he barely got there and his injuries took over, now he's sitting home in the most beautiful country in the world, getting paid millions still and enjoying watching his kids grow up. What a life for Lucien.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">He deserves it given what he's been through personally.</div> Why, because he was being a little baby? He didn't like being in New Jersey, then he didn't even go to Toronto, and now he's hoping to ride Wade and Shaq to a championship. It's great that he came back with what happened to his kidney, but I lost a lot of respect for him when he started acting like a baby, instead of a professional.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Diesel:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm not quite sure why Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Emeka Okafor up there. All they did was list their accomplishments, not their luck. I think Isiah Thomas should definetly be on that list if Danny Ainge is.</div> Shaq is up there because he didn't really do anything apart from eat to get 7'1 300+lbs. Anybody with his physique should be considered lucky, as they would most likely be a force. Credit given to him, he has the right attitude of feeling like he's the boss, but hey, most people would do if they were his size.
Dude who wrote this article hasn't heard Tony Parker's rap album. I agree with Chutney I would have put Alonzo Mourning at #1 on the list, hands down. A second chance at life, and in the NBA. In the running for DPOY and on a contender, not to mention a city where he's loved.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Why, because he was being a little baby? He didn't like being in New Jersey, then he didn't even go to Toronto, and now he's hoping to ride Wade and Shaq to a championship. It's great that he came back with what happened to his kidney, but I lost a lot of respect for him when he started acting like a baby, instead of a professional.</div> That's fine, but what has all that got to with him coming back from the kidney problems, which was a huge effort on his part?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">That's fine, but what has all that got to with him coming back from the kidney problems, which was a huge effort on his part?</div> Because you said he deserved being on Miami and having a chance at a championship, when he just whined his way out of 2 teams so he could go to the Heat. Not really deserving IMO.
Before even reading the article, I would've put Tony Parker on top solely based on the fact that he bagged Eva Longoria. Now that I think about it, Eva kinda looks like Jason Kidd's wife Joumana, the second most attractive NBA wife/girlfriend.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Downtown:</div><div class="quote_post">Before even reading the article, I would've put Tony Parker on top solely based on the fact that he bagged Eva Longoria. Now that I think about it, Eva kinda looks like Jason Kidd's wife Joumana, the second most attractive NBA wife/girlfriend.</div> Nah, something like that doesn't work on luck...my man got strong game off the court too. lmao though...
How about the Detroit Pistons? They've had the same starting five for every game this year, while their primary rival (Indiana) has been devastated by injuries the last two years. Oh, and Shaq and Wade were both limited due to injury in the playoffs last season. Now THAT'S luck.
