Sep
27
9-27-1983: Larry Bird Signs the Richest Contract in Boston Celtics History
Bill Russell. Bob Cousy. John Havliceck. Sam Jones. Dave Cowens. Jo Jo White. Nate “Tiny” Archibald.
The parquet floor of the Boston Garden had been the stage for many great Boston Celtics players prior to Larry Bird, the Hick from French Lick, who along with the Los Angeles Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson, saved the NBA in the eighties and ushered in the league’s greatest era.
On September 27, 1983, Larry Bird became the highest paid Celtic in the franchise’s history when he signed a seven-year deal worth $15.5 million, or slightly more than two million per season. These numbers are quite funny when looking at what Boston’s Big Three will be earning this upcoming season.
Amazingly, recently-acquired Celtics superstar Kevin Garnett is on the books for $21 million this season while small forward Paul Pierce will make approximately $15,101,626. Boston’s other superstar, Ray Allen, will make $14,611,570 in 2007-2008.
Bird appeared in five NBA Finals during his career, winning championships with the Celtics against the Houston Rockets in 1981, the Lakers in 1984 and the Rockets again in 1986. The much-anticipated Boston triumvirate of Garnett, Pierce and Allen has never appeared in the NBA Finals, with each player maxing out thus far in their careers in the Conference Finals.
In fact, Boston’s roster has only four years of NBA Finals experience. Reserve forward Brian Scalabrine reached the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals with the New Jersey Nets, free-agent acquisition James Posey won the title with the Miami Heat in 2006, and another offseason pickup, veteran big man Scot Pollard, languished on the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers during an ugly 2007 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
With players getting paid ridiculous amounts of money nowadays, guys like Larry Bird paved the way for such rich contracts by playing superb basketball and leaving it all on the floor. In the modern NBA and in sports in general, players are compensated on potential and before ever proving anything. And these modern athletes still want more.
As an example, Phoenix Suns forward Shawn Marion is allegedly seeking $20 million for each of the next three seasons. That’s a lot of money for a pogo-stick, a very good player who is the third best player on his team and would never be mentioned in the same breath as a Larry Bird.
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
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