Draymond Green has been making headlines in the last couple of hours. The Golden State Warriors power forward joined Uninterrupted’s “WRTS: The After Party” to talk about a variety of topics, especially the similarities between his Warriors and the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan that ruled the league during the 90s.
Jordan’s documentary ‘The Last Dance’ debuted on Sunday and Green didn’t miss the chance to compare some of the things he saw on TV to the one he’s been witnessing since he entered the NBA.
He talked about Kevin Durant and how the way he handled his free agency became a big problem for the Dubs but also reflected on the bad contracts that helped both the Bulls and Warriors build their dynasties.
“I think the two greatest teams ever in the NBA were built on bad contracts,” Green said on the episode of Uninterrupted with Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera (26-minute mark).
He’s referring to the deals that Scottie Pippen and Stephen Curry signed early in their careers. Pippen penned a 7-year, $18 million with the Bulls that kept him attached to the team, earning a lot less than he deserved for his performances on the court.
Pippen won six championships with the Bulls, becoming one of the two best players in the league but also one of the most underpaid players in the association; during the Bulls’ sixth championship run, he was the 122nd highest-paid player in the NBA. In the end, he made over $100 million after his career was over, even surpassing the earnings of Michael Jordan.
Scottie Pippen was the 122nd-highest-paid player in the NBA in '97-98, but was easily one of the best players in the league. #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/CcJ132Nbb8
— ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2020
As for Curry, even though he made more than Pippen in a shorter time, he inked a four-year deal with an average annual salary of $11 million from the 2013-14 campaign through 2016-17. That deal was questionable for Green, as Curry proved he was a star in the league, winning back-to-back MVPs during that time, taking the Warriors to win two championships. After that contract finished, he signed a huge one that earns him $40 million per season.
Golden State made fifth straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning three titles with Curry leading them. Luckily for these guys, they got paid what they deserved, but for Pippen, that money landed after he left the Bulls.
