<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">David Stern, for once, is stumped. He is asked to identify the toughest job in the NBA. Held by anyone. After a long pause comes the response. "I have no idea," sayeth the commish. He is briefed on the criteria: There is no criteria. He is given the freedom to nominate any coach, player or front-office executive ... or anyone who works in the NBA in any capacity. Take, for example, the entire Dallas Mavericks organization. Dallas will be hoping Friday for its first road victory in Los Angeles over the Lakers since 1990, when Dirk Nowitzki was 12 years old. By now, beating the Lakers in L.A. must seem like an impossible job to the Mavs. "I think there are no difficult jobs in the NBA," Stern eventually says. "It's a piece of cake. There are people out there with real jobs. We've got nothing but larks." So should we start calling it the NBL? Uh, no. There are actually lots of tough tasks out there, and this week's Stein Line narrows it down to a top five. Or is that a bottom five? Either way, here's our list of colleagues with the hardest jobs in the league:</div> Full Story by Marc Stein
Five toughest jobs in the league? Pshhh, that sports writer has it all wrong! The five toughest jobs in the NBA are: Center, Point Guard, Shooting Guard, Power Forward, Small Forward .
Clipper G.M. You have to build a team without being able to sign anyone... edit: it says 5 jobs so i'll list 5 1 Clipper GM 2. Clipper coach. 3. Blazers coach. 4. Lakers backup Center 5. T-mac (so much expectations to lead his team, and it looks like it'll have to wait another year)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">Clipper G.M. You have to build a team without being able to sign anyone...</div> Ha, but he's the longest tenured GM in the league at 17 years and counting, so Elgin must like it... I'd say the toughest job in the league belongs to some of those kids on the court trying to mop up sweat while avoiding being flattened. My friend used to do it, almost got killed one time...
How about being an official? -Nearly always traveling -Not much time at home -Game changing decisions to make -Under-appreciated
Joe D. It might not be the hardest job, but he's the hardest worker. A good GM's work is never done. I agree about Lebron. People are saying he'll change the whole league, and he's only eightteen. That's quite a load to carry for anyone, let alone a teenager.
I think the toughest job in the league is a head coach. If the team is successful, the players get a lot of the credit. If your players don't perform, the heat is put entirely on you and you are held responsible.
The toughest job in the NBA is that of an NBA player. I believe that physical labor is more difficult than being a front-office figure. However, I feel that the athletes in the NBA do not deserve all the money they get for simply playing basketball. The reason I feel they have the toughest job is because they work harder than any executive does. Whether it is in the weight room or on the basketball court, the players in the NBA are constantly pushing their bodies to the limit. It is too hard to decide what the second, third, fourth, and fifth toughest jobs seem to be because we simply don't know what work goes on behind the scenes, but I think that being a coach or referee would be difficult.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jump:</div><div class="quote_post">How about being an official? -Nearly always traveling -Not much time at home -Game changing decisions to make -Under-appreciated</div> What is the average salary of an NBA referee, compared to that of an NFL or NHL referee? Do they get a yearly salary or paid on a game to game basis?
