As the poster child for player loyalty, legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant was widely revered for his 20-year-long stint with the Lakers. Even so, former NBA big man Rasheed Wallace recently argued that Kobe was lucky to land with the Lakers from the start and that things would have been way different had he gone to a small market team like the Trail Blazers or Timberwolves.
“People don’t realize and understand how f—— key weather is to your career,” said Wallace. “If you got guys like, man, Kobe was lucky as s— to play in L.A. his whole career. Tim Duncan was lucky as s— to play in San Antonio his whole career.”
The difference between places like Los Angeles and San Antonio compared to other cities is no doubt the warm weather and temperate climate, but it’s also the earning potential. A guy like Wallace, a 4x All-Star who played for the Trail Blazers, Pistons, and Celtics for the majority of his career, never enjoyed such luxuries.
“You talking about a majority of hot-weather cities,” said Wallace. “Where, s—, you feeling good. It’s a different mindset going into the game ’cause now your body, you’re not aching. That tendinitis ain’t hurting. It’s a big difference when you in that cold city and that hot city, man.”
The concept of warm cities being more attractive to athletes is not a new idea. This trend has been around for ages and it’s only grown in popularity over time. Every year, it seems like the same group of teams is always getting the most relevant players: the Heat, Suns, Lakers, Clippers, and Warriors and it’s not by accident.
Kobe Bryant, a 5x champion and former NBA MVP, was on the Lakers from a rookie to his final season, and he is often credited for his unwavering loyalty to the franchise… but it’s admittedly harder to stay loyal to a team like the Lakers, who have everything that an athlete could want in life.
Rasheed Says Warm Weather Should Make Jimmy Butler Want To Stay With The Heat
Just like Kobe used the warm weather of Los Angeles to his advantage, Rasheed Wallace thinks Jimmy Butler is better off staying with the Heat than going anywhere else. Amid rumors of a potential split, the future of the 34-year-old has fallen under doubt.
According to Rasheed, however, Butler should do whatever he can to stay with the Heat and keep his family in the tropical lands of Florida.
“It’s a big difference between a cold city and a hot city,” said Wallace. “So with him [Butler] down there in Miami, sh*t, I would stay in Miami and set your sh*t up down there. I don’t think he’ll come back to Philadelphia.”
With Butler, a 6x All-Star, being one of the summer’s biggest trade targets, many teams have been in pursuit of a contract, including his former team the Philadelphia 76ers. But if I’m Butler, what’s the reason to abandon such a good situation?
Just like Kobe and other stars in warm, high-market cities, Butler is enjoying some nice perks in his situation and it really doesn’t get any better in the NBA. Some players go their entire careers without this experience and Rasheed knows how crucial it can be in altering the player experience.
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