Gregg Popovich is Underpaid

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Kelly Dwyer recently provided us with a list of the decade’s best contracts.

Manu Ginobili made the list, but Tim Duncan and Tony Parker just missed the cut.

Another notable omission: Gregg Popovich.

According to a July, 2008 report, Pop makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 million a year. That’s a good bargain for a guy who coaches and presides over the winningest outfit in sports.

If memory serves, Phil Jackson’s last extension was at two years, 24 million.  The Milwaukee Bucks once paid George Karl 7 million to run the franchise ragged. And prior to his coaching resignation, Pat Riley earned 8 million as the president and coach of the Miami Heat.

I know, 6 million is still a lot of money. I’m just saying.

  • SpurredOn

    Tim,

    Your are doing your hoops homework tonight and it is appreciated. Provides me some balance so I don’t get too consumed with the yet to begin NFL season. After all, NBA is right around the corner and our Spurs have a title to go and win.

    Again, I adore Pop. Of the all-time coaches from all teams for whom I root and love, Pop is #2 behind Bill Walsh on my list.

  • Matt Steele

    I have some issues with that original list anyway…

    Gilbert Arenas?! Yeah that’s been a great contract recently. You’re not getting any value for tens of millions of dollars when the player is injured. I kind of stopped reading after I saw that. No way should Arenas be put on a list that is talking about most value for the money or that it was a good contract.

  • Jordan

    Matt,

    I think the contract that Dwyer was referring to was the original contract that Arenas signed. Not the exorbitant one that Arenas signed with the Wizards right before he got injured.

  • http://myspurslink.blogspot.com Robby

    Tim,

    I do think it’s a bargain… and if i’m correct I think he also acts as the Spurs’ President for Basketball operations, right? (but I’m not sure about this…) So he has basically two functions…

  • Latin_D

    Yeah… I see what you’re saying, but somehow 6 million doesn’t scream “underpaid” at me. Why would any single person in this world need more money? I don’t even feel the need to applaud Popovich’s moderation.

  • Phoebus

    Phil Jackson has the face and notoriety to get endorsement deals from T-Mobile. Pat Riley almost does. Pop doesn’t, not even close. And things the Bucks do aren’t relevant to discussion.

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Timothy Varner

    Latin_D,

    Graydon gave me the same admonishment.

  • MJC

    Just another example of the Spurs culture. 6 million isn’t a small sum by any means, but it’s not some crazy amount that breaks the franchise’s bank.
    We also never see Pop making demands for a huge paycheck due to his great success. Dwyer should make a ‘most underrated coaches’ list next.

  • NL

    Everyone probably feels like he or she is underpaid. The reason we believe Pop is underpaid is simply because we think his services are more valuable than that in an NBA marketplace. There aren’t many people that can do what Pop can do and when demand far outpaces supply, you can certainly argue Pop is underpaid from a market standpoint.

    Rarely do people value winning more to take less money even if we are talking in the millions of dollars. Timmy restructured his contract. I have no doubt Pop could get close to Phil Jackson money if he wanted to and fortunately he has the opportunity to consider great tradeoffs without having to worry about his financial future.