Unfortunately, after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic for the 2009 NBA Title, everybody was reminded of the worst part of professional sports: money. Trevor Ariza had long been seen as an NBA journeyman, and because of that, he had been paid as such. Now that he had put in work while the game’s lights shined the brightest, he wanted to be paid.
And let me just say–I understand completely. Ariza has kids and a family to be taken care of, and it’s only natural to want what you’re owed.
However, the NBA is a business, and nobody understands that better than Mitch Kupchak.
Nobody loves Trevor Ariza more than myself. He was nothing more than a humble, team-first guy during his time in LA. An unexpected diamond in the rough, who, if we had not acquired, we would probably not have won the 2009-2010 NBA title. The fact that he’s a LA kid who went to UCLA only adds to the Hollywood story.
But, much like the under-the-radar trades can help make an elite team, over-paying for role-players is something that can cripple an elite team like the Lakers, since they obviously won’t have excessive wads of cash to throw around in the first place. And you can’t pay people big bucks off one very good season.
It’s a lesson that Mitch Kupchak learned the hard way.
Next: Learning from the Past
