主题：【原创】霍华德：我的江湖生涯 -- 老叶

After Matt Maloney solid season in 1996-1997, Rockets can only offer him something close to the minimum for the 1997-1998 season. Matt Maloney and the Rockets make a secret verbal agreement. If Matt Maloney agrees to play for the Rockets in the 1997-1998 season, then the Rockets will agree to reward Maloney with a lucractive long term contract. Matt Maloney has a TERRIBLE 1997-1998 season. Rockets reward him with a lucrative long term contract.

Danny Manning signs with the Phoenix Suns during in 1994 with a one year, $1 million deal. They make a secret verbal agreement that if he does sign on the cheap for a chance at a championship, the Suns with reward him with a huge, long term deal a year later. Manning tears his ACL half way through the season. This is when ACL tears meant that the athlete would be a shell of his former self when he recovered. The Suns still give him that mega deal a year later.

Larry Bird basically sits through the 1992 Olympics and cheers on his American teammates. He's pretty much decided he wants to retire after the Games because he can no longer play at the level he sees fit. He basically goes into the Celtics front office at the beginning of August and tells them he wants to retire. The Celtics brass tell him to wait a few weeks before he makes that decision. But Bird understands what they are trying to do. He knows that in 10 days, the next year of his contract kicks in, and he will be making one of the highest salaries in the league. Bird tells the Celtics brass on the spot that he knows what they are trying to do and says he is retiring right now. He tells them if he can't earn his keep, he will not be paid.

Charles Barkley signs a one year, $1 million deal with the Rockets after the 1997-1998 season with a verbal agreement from the Rockets that they will reward him the following year. Their agreement gives the Rockets the cap space to go after Scottie Pippen. Rockets reward Barkley with a one year, $10 million deal the year after.

There are plenty of teams who show great integrity like the Rockets and Suns. And there are plenty of players who show great integrity like Larry Bird and Charles Barkley in this game. Boozer showed absolutely no integrity with the Cavs.

The Cavs are a terrbily run organization. Paxson has made some of the dumbest draft picks/ free agent signings in the past 10 years. Trajan Langdon in the lottery!!! Chris Mihm with the 7th pick!!! Ira Newble and Kevin Ollie with big deals!!! These are all things that I criticized at the time. But you can't criticize the Cavs in this situation. From all that I know, Gordan Gund is a great guy with great integrity (a little factoid: Gund is completely blind, literally). From all that I know, Paxson is an idiot. But it's not there fault.