Juanma Rubio
JORDAN
and the NBA's craziest contract clauses
MICHAEL
Over the years, a closer look at the fine print in NBA players’ contracts has thrown up an array of weird and wonderful clauses.
Michael Jordan continued to be paid his Chicago Bulls contract in the 1993/94 season, despite retiring from basketball to try his hand at baseball.
The Bulls’ owner sought to pay a moral debt: Jordan had earned less than $10m in 1991-93, a period that brought Chicago three NBA titles.
Jordan's Bulls contract included the memorable ‘for the love of the game’ clause, which allowed him to play basketball whenever, wherever.
Teams tend to ban players from earning extra in exhibition matches or taking part in pickup games at the park - but Jordan had complete freedom.
Spencer Dinwiddie’s three-year, $62m Mavericks deal includes a bonus if Dallas win the championship. How much would he get...? $1!
In 2009/10, the Spurs’ Matt Bonner was on a bonus of $100,000 if his combined shooting percentages reached 169 or over. He managed 157.
The same year, Baron Davis stood to receive $1m if he played 70 games and the Clippers won at least 30. He featured 75 times… but LA won 29.
Among the bonuses never likely to be paid, Nick Collison would have got $100,000 for being MVP, and Luke Ridnour was on $1.5m for winning Defensive Player of the Year.
Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis had weight-based incentives at the Celtics. He’d receive $500,000 if he wasn’t too heavy when he reported for preseason.
Tony Battie had a Nets contract full of weird add-ons. He’d pocket $100,000 if he averaged five free throws a game - whether he scored them or not.
Urban legend has it that the Knicks made Steve Novak donate $100,000 to an animal charity if he was ever seen near to a dog (he was allergic).
The great Bill Walton demanded that the Clippers buy him eight tickets for each of Bruce Springsteen’s seven concerts in San Diego in 1979.