by Stop Mike Lupica on March 11 at 10:12AM
If you didn't catch it, here is an interesting article in the Sun-Sentinal on Sunday from Ira Winderman about NBA players and their gambling habits. Most of the article talks about players (and staff) playing poker on plane rides, gambling what would be large sums of money for most people, including one story from Derek Anderson about an unnamed player losing $30,000 during a flight from Chicago to Detroit. What is that, an hour-flight? Sheeeeet.
Ira Winderman then puts it all in perspective, reminding us that the average NBA player - average, not even the stars - makes about $66,000 a game.
Players actually named during the story are Eddie Jones ("known to drain a wallet") and Paul Pierce ("creates his own terror at attitude"). And, of course, Ira brings up the legendary dice game between Charles Oakley and Tyrone Hill that ended up with Hill owing Oakley over a $100,000, and Oakley threatening to whup Hill's ass every time they had a game. That story is by now well-known.
But here's whatpeaked piqued my interest - a subtle little closing quote from Pat Riley:
"About 10 years ago," Riley says, "there was a game on a plane when I was in New York, and I felt in that game that night one of the players really got hurt, financially. I know how he was with money, and I think it bothered him in the next game."
Setting aside the confusion of the dates - 10 years ago was 1997-1998, and Pat Riley was already on the Heat, not still on the Knicks. But he probably meant more like 1994 or 1995, you know? Anyway, I would be interested in hearing some more details here. I mean, I think we can presume that Charles Oakley was involved, right? But who got hurt financially (a player was tight with money - my guess would be a journeyman who took years getting to the NBA, and therefore isn't as loose with money as most players are... someone like John Starks or Anthony Mason), enough that it bothered him the next game? Is Pat Riley still making excuses for John Starks' 2-18 Game Six?
I'm kidding, of course. Just having some fun with the quote. Still, it would be great to hear more of these stories - these kind of anecdotes are really fascinating to me.
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Ira Winderman then puts it all in perspective, reminding us that the average NBA player - average, not even the stars - makes about $66,000 a game.
Players actually named during the story are Eddie Jones ("known to drain a wallet") and Paul Pierce ("creates his own terror at attitude"). And, of course, Ira brings up the legendary dice game between Charles Oakley and Tyrone Hill that ended up with Hill owing Oakley over a $100,000, and Oakley threatening to whup Hill's ass every time they had a game. That story is by now well-known.
But here's what
"About 10 years ago," Riley says, "there was a game on a plane when I was in New York, and I felt in that game that night one of the players really got hurt, financially. I know how he was with money, and I think it bothered him in the next game."
Setting aside the confusion of the dates - 10 years ago was 1997-1998, and Pat Riley was already on the Heat, not still on the Knicks. But he probably meant more like 1994 or 1995, you know? Anyway, I would be interested in hearing some more details here. I mean, I think we can presume that Charles Oakley was involved, right? But who got hurt financially (a player was tight with money - my guess would be a journeyman who took years getting to the NBA, and therefore isn't as loose with money as most players are... someone like John Starks or Anthony Mason), enough that it bothered him the next game? Is Pat Riley still making excuses for John Starks' 2-18 Game Six?
I'm kidding, of course. Just having some fun with the quote. Still, it would be great to hear more of these stories - these kind of anecdotes are really fascinating to me.
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stopmikelupica
said
Thanks MC Welk. I've corrected it now. My GF also added that I had misspelled "perspective" (using "prospective" instead, another bad habit of mine she's noticed over the past year), so I changed that one, too.
piqued