Can a Retired Nba Can Play Again

Mon, November four

Retired Olajuwon still active on Raptors' payroll

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

A handful of e-mails will be flagged every calendar week for group word. But be sure to include your first and concluding name and metropolis of residence if yous want your question to be answered. Seriously, friends. Denote yourself to the masses.

To the mail ...

	The Raptors won't say goodbye to Hakeem Olajuwon's contract until the team settles his finances.

Q: Hakeem Olajuwon has, I believe, two years left on his contract. He is retiring. Now why are the Raptors obligated to pay him for the remaining two years (it's quite a bit of money, around $12 milllion, correct?) if he is quitting? I mean, if you sign a contract, isn't part of the deal that you actually play? If y'all quit, how much BS is it that a squad however has to pay yous? Am I missing something here?
Robbie Gower

A: Y'all're absolutely correct, Robbie. Which explains why Hakeem hasn't officially retired. If yous formally retire -- like the late Bison Dele did -- you forfeit the balance of your contract. Hakeem hasn't. A player isn't officially retired until he sends a retirement letter to the league function and very few players in recent years (Chris Mullin, Ron Harper and Clyde Drexler are simply a few examples) have taken that step.

Insurance volition cover fourscore percent of Dream'due south remaining bacon if a team of independent doctors determines that his back trouble is indeed career-catastrophe. That's how the Raptors will be spared from paying most of the $12 1000000, although the numbers won't immediately drop off the bacon cap.

Yous'll note that the Rockets retired Dream's No. 34 on Saturday night, only that Dream'south name is nonetheless right there on the Raptors' roster. He'southward on the injured list. By the letter of the alphabet of the law, he'southward still regarded as an active player and I'm guessing he'll stay that way until the finances are settled because Dream doesn't plan to give away one cent. Expect a like scenario if Terrell Brandon has to "retire" in Minnesota -- it won't happen until the doctors rule that insurance has to pay off eighty percent of Brandon's contract.

Q: I've seen diverse references in the last few years to the watered-down NBA, how in that location are "too many teams" and how expansion is diluting the game's quality. For instance, I think there were sixteen NBA teams in the 60s compared to the 29 today. Just curious: Have yous or anyone else ever looked at U.S. population statistics over fourth dimension? Information technology occurs to me that perhaps the numbers of potential NBA players (permit's say all males aged twenty-40) accept also expanded. In other words, the increase in NBA franchises has paralleled population growth. And if that's true, is the league really watered downwardly or do we just perceive information technology to exist that way? If it is watered down, I'd venture to guess that it's not because of the number of teams. Rather, it could be an erosion in skills and development.
John Frangos
Chicago, Ill.

A: Interesting take, John. Yous have a future on David Stern'southward advisory console. Commish always comes dorsum at any of u.s. in the media who say the league is diluted, pointing out that the sixty-plus players from foreign countries account for five actress teams on their own. Your point also supports the instance for expansion � if the population numbers are indeed parallel to franchise growth. In the interest of time, I'll take your word for it.

I'm not against a 29-squad league so much as it kills me to meet the standard of shooting in the modernistic game, which speaks more to your point virtually skill erosion. Where take all the shooters gone? Information technology'south early on, sure, but a case can exist fabricated that shooting has never been worse.

Through Sabbatum's play, 5 teams had failed to score even seventy points in a game this season -- yep, that ways less than lxx -- and a whopping eleven teams were shooting .419 or worse from the field. The "leaders" in that category: Raptors (.373), Lakers (.393) and Nuggets (.395). No wonder merely 9 of the 29 teams are scoring more than 95.5 points per game, which was final flavour's boilerplate. It's all criminally pitiful.

	Jordan

	Bryant

Q: When Kobe Bryant was going for his third consecutive triple-double information technology prompted a big argue between my friend and I. He stated that Michael Jordan has never had 3 consecutive triple-doubles and I say that he has.
Michael Seyda
Kentucky

A: Tell your friend to become out his wallet, Mike. Co-ordinate to the NBA, via Elias Sports Agency, MJ has washed it iii times. The details:

              Consecutive triple doubles; Dates; Player, team              (regular season just)              9 03/08/1968 03/xx/1968 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.  7 01/01/1961 01/12/1961 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  7 03/25/1989 04/06/1989 Jordan, Michael, Chi.  5 01/03/1962 01/11/1962 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  5 xi/07/1961 11/xiv/1961 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  5 01/25/1968 02/02/1968 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.  4 03/31/1987 04/05/1987 Johnson, Magic, LA-Fifty  4 01/05/1966 01/13/1966 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  four 02/11/1968 02/16/1968 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.  4 02/13/1962 02/17/1962 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  4 10/21/1961 x/29/1961 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  4 03/28/1981 eleven/03/1981 Johnson, Magic, L.A.  4 01/05/1965 01/09/1965 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  iv 03/02/1967 03/06/1967 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.  3 01/24/1987 01/29/1987 Lever, Fatty, Den.  three 02/10/1984 02/17/1984 Johnson, Magic, L.A.  3 02/04/1968 02/09/1968 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.  3 12/25/1963 12/29/1963 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.                 3 02/23/1962 02/25/1962 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  iii 04/18/1982 11/03/1982 Johnson, Magic, L.A.  three 02/21/1961 02/25/1961 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  iii 04/11/1997 04/14/1997 Hill, Grant, Det.  3 01/14/1962 01/xx/1962 Robertson, Oscar, Cin.  three 12/26/1984 12/29/1984 Bird, Larry, Bos.  3 04/09/1989 04/14/1989 Jordan, Michael, Chi.  three 12/16/1966 12/21/1966 Chamberlain, Wilt, Phi.            

	Baker

Q: Is there any adventure that the Celtics could pull a Trail Blazers movement (equally with Shawn Kemp) and buy out Vin Bakery's contract after the season? What are the salary-cap ramifications of this and do you know of any accost where I could mail my contribution to the "Vin Bakery Buyout Fund?" My checkbook is in hand.
Matt Dallas
Framingham, Mass.

A: In that location's no benefit for the Celtics to consider such a motion unless Vin became such a divisive force in the locker room that he was hurting the team just by existence there. And in that location's no evidence of anything that serious yet. Vin is simply coming forth very, very slowly, every bit widely expected. Kemp'southward situation was different.

Kemp's presence in Portland probably was a distraction, or it certainly would accept become one this season with Kemp's bacon jumping into the $xx meg bracket. Portland also has the financial wherewithal, with possessor Paul Allen, to go the buyout route.

At present that it has taken the Baker run a risk, Boston might as well settle in and give it time and see if it can get anything out of Vin unless, again, things get really ugly. The money paid in a buyout notwithstanding counts confronting the cap, and then at that place likely wouldn't be whatsoever immediate bottom-line relief for the Celtics.

I'm certain fellow Celtics fans appreciate your generosity, though. They're undoubtedly wondering if you're still willing to chip in for a gratuitous agent indicate guard, since Paul Gaston won't let Boston add anyone (even a minimum-salaried free agent) until his ownership is transferred to the new regime.

	Sura

Q: What has happened to Bobby Sura? Ever since that "monster cap-killing contract" he signed a few years ago in Cleveland, he has non seen the lite of day nationally. I'thou not arguing that he's an All-Star or anything, simply he is a big baby-sit and a smashing athlete who can run the point. Gilbert Arenas seems to have all just locked upwardly the 1 spot in Golden State and J-Rich will be at the two. Non to mention Dunleavy is going to have to play somewhere, and same with Welsch. Exercise you think that Bobby will ever get a shot at playing and, if so, volition it exist this yr in Golden State or somewhere else?
Walter Weldon, 3
Xavier University

A: That's what happens when yous become to Gold State. Only Sura is also off the map at nowadays because he'southward been bothered by a strained calf since preparation camp. From everything I gather, Eric Musselman likes Sura'southward intensity and versatility, then don't worry. Sura should go a shot at minutes, in spite of the logjam, when he returns in a calendar week or 2.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To email him, click here.

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Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/columns/stein_marc/1459091.html

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