New York Nets star Julius Erving and Willie Wise of the Utah Stars compete in an ABA game in the early 1970s. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
By Ed Odeven
TOKYO (Aug. 1, 2017)
Fifth in a series
A few weeks before the NBA’s hectic signing period made headlines to kick off summer, former ABA star Willie Wise reflected on the economic changes within pro basketball across the decades, but also provided a detailed analysis of how influential the ABA was in shaping the way the game is played today.
But first a few numbers from contracts finalized in recent weeks: J.J. Redick (one year, $23 million, Philadelphia 76ers), Gordon Hayward (four years, $128M, Boston Celtics), Kevin Durant (two years, $53M, Golden State Warriors), Paul Millsap (three years, $90M, Denver Nuggets), Kyle Lowry (three years, $100M, Toronto Raptors).
Those, of course, are just a few of the blockbuster contracts being signed by dozens of players…
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Ed Odeven Reporting 