Clinton Portis was about to murder his financial manager

I don't know if it's apocryphal, but the other day I heard a story that the Sixers started to realize their rings was all chocked with fake rocks.

Moses goes to get his appraised: All real gems.

Dance with the one who brung you.

 

But did he do card tricks in the elevator?

 

Do teams give these guys any advice at all? Like, have your accountant and your financial adviser be different people?

 

I suppose.

I always remember stories like this when there's a labor dispute. Too many players can't miss a paycheck, let alone months or an entire season. Owners have them by the balls.

 

In my junior hockey days we had a veteran NHLer skate with us during the 2004 lockout while he was waiting for a deal in Sweden to get done. Early December, I ask him how he is handling the lockout. This guy was an average NHLer but signed some big contracts in the pre-salary cap days. He said his parents - both teachers - made him buy a house - and not the big, flashy car he wanted - when he signed his first contract. He said he still owned the house and when it came time to buy the big, flashy car he didn't want one. He kept buying land and houses that his brother would fix up to flip.

In other words he was doing just fine but said many of his younger teammates were struggling to pay the bills and buy Christmas presents during the lockout due to crazy spending, bad financial management, lifestyle issues etc. He said he always amazed young guys who would blow money on a Rolex by telling them it told the same time as the watch he had been wearing since his junior days.

 

Several years ago, I read something about Kyle Korver basically just living on his per diem during the NBA season while banking pretty much all of his paycheck. With the training table food and all hotels and flights paid for, that seems very smart and forward thinking. If true, I'd say he's going to be set up for life when his playing days end.

Portis always was too short.

 

I remember the stories of Kenny Anderson, who said he always had $10,000 in "walking around money." I looked him up, and he filed for bankruptcy about 10 years ago or so.

 

One of the best HS players I ever saw. I used to take my younger brother to watch him and Jamal Mashburn play all the time. We'd go see the Hurley brothers too.

Anderson did not come from a good home. And I think he only did one year of college, right?

He was a star at 14, winnning the NYS championship and the MVP as a freshman, despite the coach -- the legendary Jack Curran -- limiting his playing time.

 

Nah, he spent three years at Georgia Tech. Nobody went one-and-done back then.

 

Rob Gronkowski supposedly lives off his endorsement money and doesn't touch anything else.

 

When Marshawn Lynch retired, there was a lot of talk that he did exactly that and has tens of millions stashed away. I want to believe that's true.