Friday, October 19, 2007 Sayson: Kobe and Earl: A tale of two woes By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO - At 5-foot-5 and 133 pounds, Earl Boykins is a little shorter and a lot lighter than a standard kitchen refrigerator.
Unlike the lazy refrigerator, though, which swings its arms only once in a while to dole out water, food, and the occasional beer, Boykins is a blizzard of activity.
He is razzle and dazzle, faster than an ambulance. Boykins, you see, is an NBA player. Well, he was. Or used to be.
And like your refrigerator, Boykins is now unemployed. He himself unwittingly pulled the plug on his NBA tenure. He made a huge gamble during the off-season, a risk that cost him all the chips on his rack.
Here’s how his bluff ended in a fluff.
Traded from the Nuggets as part of the blockbuster Allen Iverson deal, Boykins landed in Milwaukee last season. He had a wonderful time as a Buck, averaging 14.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Unfortunately, he became a victim of his own success.
Boykins had one-year and a guaranteed $3 million left on a five-year, $13.7 million deal he originally signed with Denver. But confident that his recent productivity will summon him a longer and more lucrative package, he opted out of his contract and filed for free agency.
Boykins was wrong. He, and his agent, was so wrong.
Apparently, there were no offers and no deals. And now, there’s just no job.
Whether he got greedy or got bad advice, Boykins is not alone.
Latrell Sprewell once notoriously turned down a four-year $28 million contract extension in 2004. He demanded more and ended up with nothing. He is now out of the NBA.
After a productive fling as a King, ex-Blazer Bonzi Wells turned down a six-year, $36 million dollar offer from Sacrmaneto. He ended up with the Rockets, signing a two-year contract worth just $5 million.
Moral of the story? Unless your name is Michael Jordan, never leave money on the table. Tomorrow is never promised.
KOBE WATCH. Over the past few days, Kobe Bryant seems to have traveled more often than Marco Polo.
While speculating on his future, NBA experts have shuttled the petulant Laker to Phoenix, Chicago, Boston and Dallas.
But where is Kobe Bryant really going? Nobody knows for sure, but nobody’s arguing the fact that he’s done as a Laker. He has burned too many bridges to stay purple-and-gold for life.
One of his projected destinations is Chicago, which makes a lot of sense. The Bulls have the valuable pieces the Lakers want in return—Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and a first-round pick.
But Bulls GM John Paxson is reluctant to break up the core of young talents he has nurtured for three trying years.
Paxson will get a ton of cheers if he keeps his team together. But if he does break up the ongoing chemistry and continuity for a megastar like Kobe, Paxson wouldn’t get any boos, either.
And as Paxson ponders, the world awaits. Right now, though, the hottest talk in the NBA is a giant swap involving the Lakers and the Mavericks. Kobe for Dirk Nowitzki. One superstar for another.
It’s a blockbuster deal, one that makes sense for both franchises.
Among the teams involved in the Kobe derby, only Dallas has the financial wherewithal to gobble up the four years and $88 million remaining on Bryant’s contract. And only an owner like Mark Cuban seems willing to pay the hefty 15 percent trade-kicker stipulated in Kobe’s contract.
And among the teams eyeing Kobe, only Dallas has that singular sensation that could entice the Lakers to pull the trigger: Dirk Nowitzki. He is the reigning league MVP, for God’s sake.
So why is this deal still on the table?
Cuban, the maverick Mavs owner, is reportedly reluctant to part with Nowitzki, his pride and joy, the perennial scruffy face of his franchise.
The Lakers, meanwhile, aren’t too eager to trade Kobe anywhere in the West Conference. They’d rather ship him to the East, and see him as rarely as possible.
