John Salley became the first player to win NBA championships with three different teams in three different decades. He arguably won alongside three of the greatest players to have touched a basketball. Having played with Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant, he has had the unique experience of watching these giants up close. Recently, appearing on the Jennifer Hudson show, he talked tongue-in-cheek about this aspect of his life.
“Well, I won four championships because those guys needed me. You know, Michael Jordan needed Isiah (needed me), especially Shaq and Kobe, they needed me. Somebody had to be like, come on, man!” the 61-year-old former center joked.
Salley was part of the back-to-back championship-winning ‘bad boys’ Detroit Pistons, led by Isiah Thomas. Then he went on to join the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan. And after a brief stint in Greece, he came back to become a veteran leader, more than an on-court influence, for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-2000.
His best playing years came with the Pistons. Playing over 459 regular-season games with the franchise, he averaged 7.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, indicating he was an elite rim protector in an era known for its physicality. A forward-center, Salley stood tall at six-foot-eleven and was known for his defensive abilities. Even when he wasn’t a big contributor on the court, he was vocal in the locker room, which helped him stay relevant for so long.
Talking about the struggles of being a professional player in today’s times versus when he played, he explained the difference in purpose and how the underlying reason to play has drastically evolved.
“I would say so because we were playing for a cheque.. It was always hard getting to any professional level, but the difference was, my first year, I got $230,000, and I was in the top four guys on the squad… But that was a lot of money, but now, guys are getting a hundred, two hundred million dollar contracts.” Salley noted.
He even talked about the number of jobs available now versus back then, and how that changes the dynamics of the difficulty. There are more opportunities available after retirement, and thus, the evolution of the NBA has worked in favor of the players.
“So it was entirely different, and guys weren’t giving up their jobs. It’s just that the NBA has had four or five more teams since I played; it is more international now, it was a lot harder.” He added.
Salley was among those initial athletes who were able to translate their success in sports into a vibrant career in acting post-retirement. He acted in movies like Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, and Eddie. He also became a TV personality and hosted TheBestDamnSportsShowPeriod on Fox Sports Net. His career is not marked by individual prowess on court, but a work ethic that lent him longevity, and he was able to be at the right place at the right time, again and again.
