| Is Rashard Lewis Overpaid? |
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| Written by Ryan.W | |
| Friday, 09 May 2008 | |
 All throughout NBA history there have been supposed “underrated” players or “overpaid” players, if you ask me the only basketball player that ever really deserved his huge contracts was Michael Jordan who was like a guaranteed championship and unlimited revenue when he played in Chicago, but that is beside the point, there probably won’t be another MJ (maybe Kobe). That fact is in professional sports millions and millions of dollars gets thrown around at a ridiculous rate and few players are really worth their price tag.
For example, the biggest contract in sports right now is New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez who is making and unbelievable 27.5 million a season in a contract worth 325 million dollars (WOW)! This is for a guy that hasn’t accomplished a damn thing in the MLB playoffs, so basically the Yankees are paying this enormous amount of money to a player who hasn’t proven anything besides the fact that he plays well in the regular season just, but is hopeless in the playoffs. Pretty ridiculous huh, but that is just baseball.In the NBA there are a few players like Rodriguez, not making 325 million or anything, but there are definitely players with questionable paydays like the Orlando Magic’s Rashard Lewis. Back with the Seattle Supersonics Lewis was a solid player, great outside shooter and a constant threat with the basketball, but by no means a superstar or a game changer like his counter part Ray Allen at the time. Well, I guess the Orlando Magic didn’t think the same as I because as the most desirable free agent over the off season, Lewis convinced the Magic to give him a 126 million over 6 years. That is 21 million every season for the 6 years of his contract with the Orlando Magic. With this contract Lewis is getting paid more than some of the best players in the NBA, playoff proven players who have actually won NBA titles and MVP awards. Rashard Lewis makes more than San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan who is a 4-time NBA champion and 2-time NBA MVP who is making 122 million over 7 years of his contracts. More than Jason Kidd who is arguably one of the best point guards all time and a future hall of famer who is netting 17 million a year. More than Shaquille O’Neal who is one of most dominant players of our time and 4-time NBA champion and MVP winner in 2000 who is earning 20 million a season. Even though Kobe Bryant is making 10 million more than Lewis over the course of his 7 year contract, Rashard is still making about 2 million more a season than this year’s NBA MVP (that one blows me away!). Now like I said before, Rashard Lewis is a good player who is definitely in the league’s top 20 or so players, but worth more than Kidd, Shaq and Tim Duncan? I don’t think so. I believe that the Orlando Magic were in major rebuilding mode this off season and trying to build a winner around up and coming center Dwight Howard who I would say is worth this kind of money more than Lewis. One thing I can say about the Magic getting Lewis for this huge price tag, it hasn’t been a total waste of money just yet as the Magic won an impressive 52 games this season and are the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference in which they have already made it passed the first round beating the Toronto Raptors convincingly in 5 games. Their series against the Detroit Pistons is a whole other story as they are down 2-1, but getting this far is way beyond expectations. As for Rashard Lewis’ individual stats during the season, he produced as intended with an impressive 40% shooting percentage from deep, 18+ points per game, 83% from the line and 1.22 steals per game. Although I believe that Lewis is really not worth his gigantic contract, he is making plays and playing up to his ability thus far, the Magic maybe paying him a pretty penny, but at least he isn’t a bust and with a few more years he may help Howard get the Magic back to Eastern Conference dominance.         Set as favorite Bookmark Comments
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written by kobefan05 , May 11, 2008
magic signed him so they have to pay for the consequence and yes he is too overpaid
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written by mikef85205 , May 29, 2008
he should just go new york that team is just full of overpaid players!
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