Report: Butler took issue with Wiggins' work ethic, defense

www.thescore.com/nba/news/1558178

Assuming this is all true, of course,it's really perplexing to me. While I didn't watch him play much this year, there were multiple articles/reports that Wiggins's defense was suspect. What's weird is that in his year at KU, he was known as a strong defender. Now I don't know if it was because he bought into what HCBS was putting out there or if his natural athletic ability gave him a built-in advantage, although it was likely some combo of the two. And on the Timberwolves, heplayed under a defensive guru in Thibodeau so not sure what the issue was there.

I don't know much about Wiggins and his work ethic, but the dynamics of the NBA and salary makes this not surprising to me. He's in Minnesota, on a team that just made it's first playoffs in years, but with not much chance to advance. He's making THIRTY MILLION PER SEASON, and if he's even the slightest bit wise about his finances will have $60+ million sitting in the bank by age 28, with another $100 million in contracts after that. No matter how he performs, and whether he ever attempts to play defense again, he already won the wealth creation game, for generations of Wiggins to come.

For all but the most competitive athletes (Kobe Bryant) who crave greatness and championships, the incentive to work hard, achieve and earn money is gone immediately after a player signs their first long term contract. I just saw that Darrell Arthur is in his third year of a $21 million contract, playing seven minutes a game. Even the no names in the NBA now make 7+ million a year just for being tall and showing up for practice. The days of having to work hard just to get the next one million dollar contract are gone.

I have all but lost complete interest in all professional sports, simply because the players lack passion, and play to their contracts, not to get hurt, and without regard for championships. They seem to be robots going through the motions and collecting vast sums of money. I can't blame them. I only wish I was one of them.

I mostly hope that college basketball returns to letting the stars go pro out of high school, leaving the project kids to play for at least three years. I enjoy watching young players work to achieve their goal of making it to the NBA, before their incentive to work hard evaporates when they hit the NBA.