06-19-2026, 04:08 PM
(06-19-2026, 03:45 PM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: Bernie Lee on Jalen Brunson’s pay cut with Knicks: The idea that any player making a contractual sacrifice automatically leads to success does not align with what I have seen repeatedly. Once a player sacrifices money, he is handing a tool back to an organization to make decisions he does not control, while still carrying the results of those decisions. There is not an NBA player I have met who, while playing, has the perspective required to be a good general manager. Putting players in the position of making personnel decisions does not help anyone. Bernie Lee: Jalen Brunson will be remembered for the rest of his natural life and beyond for taking an incredible risk and leading one of the marquee teams in the NBA to a championship. Over the years, I have had numerous clients with the opportunity to play with the Knicks. I have always said that a person can win anywhere, but winning in New York is entirely different. That has clearly proven to be true. It is an incredible story with a great ending, and every person involved deserves to enjoy it. But the idea that this should start a trend does not add up to me, because the circumstances that allowed it to work were finite and almost impossible to recreate. The family history between the Brunson family and Knicks management has been well documented for good reason, and it clearly played a major role in the trust that defined the relationship from the outset. Still, unless you own the team, everyone works for someone.
HoopsHype
Summary:
If you’re a player, winning an NBA championship is very uncertain, regardless of what financial sacrifices you might make to facilitate roster-building.
So don’t.