A (Heat) stroke of genius?

To my innumerable readers across the globe,
I sincerely apologize for my serious lack of productivity over the last two months. I wish that I could eek out some semblance of a legitimate excuse for it, but alas, there is none to be had. The simple truth which has dawned on me over the past fortnight or two is that I haven't found myself capable of offering any material I considered worthy of a post, though not for a lack of trying. I've begun, edited, erased, pondered, sat on, rephrased, taken a break from, stared at, and finally gave up on numerous propositions. And here I sit, in the very same workspace (bed) as I did six weeks weeks ago, when I last posted an article on LBS.

Whatever has been holding me back from writing these past weeks, be it writer's block or an ephemeral lapse in ingenuity, I have determined that enough is enough. I have deprived you, my millions (billions?) of avid readers, of my contributions long enough. It's time to get back into the game. Ironically, despite all the great events that have occurred in the world of sports since last we met, my mind remains barren of insights regarding them that I deem useable. So to get me back on track, I am prepared to unleash an idea I have held within me for years, one that, if heeded, could provide several elite sports teams, but in particular the Miami Heat, with a clearer path to a championship.



And it's quite simple, really. Why are LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh paid so much on their contracts? They don't need that money. Between 2010 and 2011, James earned $48 Million, good for the #3 highest-compensated athlete in the world (Forbes). Of that, just $14.5 Million came from his Heat contract (ESPN). So tell me, do you think LeBron could have scraped by solely on his endorsement deals, summing up to a paltry 33.5 mil? C'MON, MAN! What is LeBron doing? He took his talents to South Beach for one reason: to claim the one prize that had eluded him in his already legendary career: An NBA title. And yet, here he stands. He has chosen to bring his year's spoils as high as can be instead of taking a less lucrative contract, still making more money than he knows what to do with, and providing his team with the salary cap room to add that one more star who can turn the Heat from a likely title contender to a likely all-time great team.

Sorry Dwyane, you're part of this, too.

Dwyane Wade shouldn't rest easy, either. It's true that he took a pay cut to have his buddies come to town. That hit was $2.6 Million over 6 years. That's a lot to you or me. But it sounds a little less reminiscent of Abraham sacrificing Isaac when you find that his contract's still worth 107.5 over that span. So sorry not sorry Dwyane, you're not off the hook. You're ranked just a bit behind King James at #20, but at $26.2 Million made between 2010 and '11, you'll survive. Now, 14 of those mils came from the heat last year, leaving Wade with "just" 12.2 earned elsewhere. So it certainly would make sense that Wade kept more from his original contract than James, so let's give him, say, $5 million contractually. I think we can say confidently that Wade will make do with 17 million. And if not, Uncle LeBron can always pitch in!


And then, there's Chris Bosh, the guy who was a real star in Toronto, but seems to have taken a bit of a backseat to the two mentioned above, at least statistically. Fortunately for Chris, his contract says otherwise. He earns, dollar for dollar, the same amount of money from the Miami Heat as LeBron.

Raise your hands if you want this as the face of
your company!

Bosh clearly has not landed the same kind of commercial deals as his slightly more recognizable compatriots (maybe because he looks like a dinosaur?). But according to several sources, his net worth is around $50 million. And he's got to be raking in something on the side; I just can't find how much it is on google. Does he need that full 14.5 + endorsements every year?

Of course, the financial situations of each of these athletes are different. James could take a minimum contract and still earn the most of the three. That move would make less sense for Wade and Bosh, with their long-term futures to bear in mind. But there can be no doubting that these three men are vastly wealthy. There is simply no need for them to occupy the amount of space they are currently taking up on the Heat's' salary cap (their salaries amount to about $48 Million of the team's total of $80 Million. Aren't these guys the ones who need that money the least? Aren't these the guys who banded together, not for money, but for something that money (theoretically) can't buy on its own, a championship? Each of these players took $15 Million off of their 6-year contracts just to land in Miami together. Why stop there?

Now, it's not as if the current Heat team isn't doing just fine on their own. They currently stand 2nd in the Eastern Conference, and have already clinched a playoff spot. But just think. Let's say that LeBron James decided to really pull out all the stops in his quest for a ring (or a 2nd one, if this is the year after all) and reworks his contract to the league minimum (1,265,000 for an 8-year pro). Wade nicely offers to take just $5 Million, and Bosh coughs up 6.5 to bring his yearly yield to $8 Million.

Such a move would have given the Heat a little short of $28 Million of cap space in 2010-11. With those funds, the Heat could lift much of the burden that the Big Three currently retain. I'm not saying that Miami should add another superstar or two. This would still very much be LeBron, Wade and Bosh's team. But three or even four invaluable role players could be attained, the guys who could make the path to a championship all the more clear.

I have no doubt that LeBron, Wade and Bosh give it their all on the court. Their tough win against the West-leading Thunder the other night provided further confirmation of that. But what about off the court?

The Heat are already a great team. They've arguably got as good a chance as anybody to bring it home this year. They may not need another star. But then again, the Big Three don't need all of the money they're getting from their contracts when they have the popularity to earn it elsewhere. Why not add some more pieces?s

When it comes down to it, I see the current collaboration of talent in Miami as an idea rooted in the desire for success. Wade won a title in 2006. Lebron brought the Cavaliers to the Finals the next year. Bosh's Raptors never came close.

Where they stand, these three perennial All-Stars have taken a half-measure, coming together in the hopes of winning it all, but taking unnecessarily lucrative contracts rather than surrounding themselves with the talent to all but ensure the glory they so desire.

These three need to review their priorities.

This idea applies to many teams, across many sports. In the modern world of sports, superstars are no longer dependent on their contracts to sustain themselves. It's time for them to take advantage of that. The Heat happen to be the most striking example, to me at least, because they have so much talent assembled already. They are one step away from legend status. James, Wade and Bosh have each made a deep mark in the history of the NBA; they do not need to prove anything through how much their team pays them. The only way they can prove themselves is by winning it all, and they held themselves back from doing so last year, and very well could do the same in 2012. Teams win championships, and when just three players are taking up the majority of your team's salary cap, that quest becomes a whole lot harder.