Published 16:55 IST, April 21st 2020
Scottie Pippen and Steph Curry had the worst NBA contracts: Draymond Green
When Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green spoke about The Last Dance during an interview, he discussed Scottie Pippen and Steph Curry's NBA contract.
The second episode of Michael Jordan's documentary, The Last Dance, which is based on the Chicago Bulls' 1990s NBA journey, focused on how less Scottie Pippen was paid in comparison to his contribution for the team. When Golden Star Warriors Draymond Green spoke about the documentary during an interview, he discussed the Scottie Pippen and Steph Curry NBA contract. The Warriors star drew similarities between the two, labelling them both "bad contracts".
Draymond Green on the Steph Curry NBA contract and Scottie Pippen salary history
During the interview, Green stated that he feels the NBA's best teams were built on bad contracts, referring to Curry's early deal with the Warriors along with Pippen's deal with the Bulls. He compared their contracts, even considering inflation and how deals are much different now. Curry joined the Warriors in 2009, while the Bulls signed Pippen in 1987.
Steph Curry NBA contract details
Curry was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He reportedly signed a four-year contract with the team, which earned him $11 million per year from the 2013-14 season to 2016-17. Curry's salary was seen as being less than his contribution on the court, which helped build the Warriors' dynasty. During those years, Curry won back-to-back NBA MVP awards and led the Warriors to two championships (2015 and 2017). The Warriors won again in 2018 when the two-time MVP was no longer under the same contract. Currently, Curry is under a contract which reportedly pays him $40 million per annum.
Scottie Pippen salary history
According to The Last Dance, Pippen began having problems regarding his contract as the 1997-98 NBA season began. Pippen had signed a seven-year contract with the Bulls which earned him $18 million. They showed that Pippen ultimately ended up missing a significant number of games due to his surgery so he did not miss the summer, along with demanding a trade as he was not being paid the right amount. As per ESPN, Pippen was the sixth-highest-player in the Bulls roster that season and came in at 122 on the list of the highest-paid players in the NBA. Green, who talked about the contract 26 minutes into his interview with Uninterrupted, called Pippen's contract 'horrible'.
Pippen then moved on to the Portland Trail Blazers after one season with the Houston Rockets, who absorbed his contract. The six-time NBA champion earned a reported $14.7 million during his first year and $13.7 million in his second. For his final season with the team, he received $19.7 million. He returned to the Bulls for a final year to wrap up his NBA career, where he reportedly earned $10.3 million.
Scottie Pippen NBA contracts: Draymond Green discusses the Scottie Pippen and Steph Curry NBA contract
Jordan's documentary was released on April 19 (April 20 IST). Two episodes of the ten-part documentary were released together, garnering an average 6.1 million views during it's ESPN broadcast. The first episode focused on Bulls GM Jerry Krause and his role in making and breaking the Bulls dynasty, while the second one focused on Pippen's contract. The next two episodes will release on April 26 (April 27 IST).
Updated 16:55 IST, April 21st 2020