Rolling out recently cast a spotlight on the all-too-often tragedy of multimillionaire NBA players who’ve gone completely broke within five years of retirement.
Well, how about experiencing money woes while still playing? As in, not receiving your paycheck?
That’s the dilemma befalling the likes of former NBA stars Damon Jones, Robert “Tractor” Traylor and Tavis Best. They are literally aching to leave their Italian team, Martos Napoli, because they have not received their paychecks in at least a month, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.
Jones has put up 14 points a game, but has not received a paycheck in a month on a contract worth $500,000. Teammate Traylor, 32, is posting up about 10 a game and Best, 37, contributes about five a game to the cause. They haven’t received checks either.
They have consulted legal representation to draft documents to enable them leave team Martos Napoli and become free agents.
Jones is holding out hope to get back with an NBA squad, Broussard reports. Jones was a role player for the likes of the Cleveland Cavs and Milwaukee Bucks during his 10 NBA seasons.
Broussard says the experience has become all-too-familiar for former NBA players who are lured to Europe by the thick stacks dangled by those teams. Nenad Krstic and Jannero Pargo are just two other examples of players who quickly returned to the United States and the NBA after their respective European ball clubs kept skipping paychecks. –terry shropshire
Pictured: Damon Jones
