ESPN update: "A source close to Marion tells ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher that the Suns forward is in favor of the proposed trade. The source also indicated that there is a "good" chance that this trade would happen."
I really just can't understand the thinking of many professional athletes. If this is true and Marion welcomes this trade, how can a fan not question how important winning is to him?
There have been reports that Marion has been unhappy because he wants an extension now and maybe he thinks Miami would give him one. If that is true, im not saying for sure it is, but if that is a big reason, when do these guys not feel they have enough cash and winning is their highest priority?
Marion signed a max contract in 2002 that when complete after next year will have paid him over 80 million dollars and that's on top of the millions he made from years prior to that contract. You're talking about a guy who will have already taken in over 90 million dollars by next season's end. What can't he possibly have that a shortage of money is preventing?
Plus, regardless if Marion gets the extension now at amounts he wants, likely he'll eventually sign a new contract with someone for say at least another 40-50 million dollars, quite possibly even more than that.
So he's already insanely rich and regardless when and for how much his next contract comes in at, Marion will get even more insanely rich. Why the hell then isn't Marion not only pissed that he's going from a 60 win title contender to a team with the worst record in the NBA, he by this report would be happy the trade is happening?
He'd gladly piss away a shot for an NBA Title that may never be this close again just to be sure he gets some extra cash that he'll likely never spend anyways? Is Marion desperate to add two dozen Bentley's and a dozen Ferrari's to his already vast car collection.
I don't begrudge pro athletes getting crazy amounts of money. The sports leagues bring in billions of dollars in revenue and the players are the product, they deserve their fair cut of those revenues. With that said, it just amazes me how often many athletes that are already insanely insanely rich will still chase the highest more dollars over winning even though they already are so rich that they can pretty much buy anything they want.
So if you were an elite athlete and already had brought in say 50-60-70-80 million dollars and/or were being offered contracts by a few teams in the 65-80 million range, do you think you would put winning as the highest priority even if it meant losing out on 5-10-15 million since you'd be crazy rich either way?