Spurs' Stephen Jackson disputes 'Most Overpaid' list in hilarious fashion
Stephen Jackson gives a "thumbs up" to his inclusion on a "Most Overpaid" list. (Spurs.com)
By Ben Golliver
Forbes drafted a list of the NBA's 10 most overpaid players by comparing a player's Win Shares and salary, and the results were a bit unusual, as the list included a number of the league's biggest stars along with some of its most notorious salary cap albatrosses.
One of the players on the list -- Spurs forward Stephen Jackson -- disputed his No. 8 ranking following San Antonio's shootaround on Saturday. The must-see video of Jackson's comments is available on Spurs.com.
"I've been underpaid my whole career," he said, smiling. "You do the math. It's adding up. Who cares? Whether they think that or not, I'm still getting paid almost $10 million this year."
The list's full top 10: Carmelo Anthony (Knicks), Ben Gordon (Bobcats), Joe Johnson (Nets), Hedo Turkoglu (Magic), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks), Corey Maggette (Pistons), Rudy Gay (Raptors), Jackson, Chris Kaman (Mavericks) and Arron Afflalo (Magic).
"That don't make no sense," Jackson said. "Dirk and Carmelo? Seriously? ... I'm happy to be on that list. If Dirk and Carmelo Anthony are on that list, I'm doing a great job. My life is going in the right direction."
Jackson, 35, is indeed making $10 million this season in the final year of his current contract. His 13-year career earnings top $68 million. He's averaging 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.6 minutes per game for San Antonio this season.
The "overpaid" discussion led Jackson to lightheartedly note that the list's creator was "somebody who is dying inside, probably." It also prompted Jackson to take a trip down memory lane in search of his own "worst contracts" list from the past.
"I can name at least 10 people that are overpaid," he said. "One is the worst of all time and I played with him. Jim McIlvaine. He robbed the league with no mask, no type of weapon. He just went and said give me all those hundreds, 99 million or something? And he played one year in Seattle and New Jersey. Jim McIlvaine should be number one. At least I've got a championship."
Jackson was a member of the 2003 title-winning Spurs. McIlvaine, a 7-foot-1 center, played seven seasons with the Bullets, SuperSonics and Nets, posting averages of 2.7 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He earned at least $32.1 million over his career, according to Basketball-Reference.com. He retired without winning an NBA title.
