Anyone who has any type of recent historical grounding in NBA knowledge knows about Jon Koncak and his contract status. 1989 saw Koncak sign a contract which saw him earn more than the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The ultimate big white stiff’s dream.
The Real Shaq Blog has come up with a way to celebrate and commemorate Koncak’s impact on the NBA, by recounting the worst contracts in recent NBA history. You know — the type of contracts that bring teams to their knees a couple of years later, as they pay a guy who may not even be on the active roster any more. Check out the Real Shaq Blog for a thorough introduction to the concept.
Today, I’ve chosen to highlight Raef LaFrentz‘s wondrous 2002 contract that saw him bring in $69m over seven years, thanks to the generosity of the Dallas Mavericks.
Yes, LaFrentz’s contract became such a key component of who he was as an NBA player that in his final two seasons in Portland, Trail Blazers fans referred to him almost exclusively as RLEC — or, Raef LaFrentz’s Expiring Contract. That was the extent to which the value of LaFrentz was perceived.
Of course, big RLEC was once just RL, without the EC. LaFrentz entered the NBA via the 3rd overall selection in the 1998 Draft, with the Denver Nuggets. He showed incredible promise, being that rare combination of a big man who could both hit the three and block shots.
Despite tearing his ACL in his rookie season, limiting him to 12 games, he had already proven his worth by averaging 13.8ppg, 7.6rpg and 1.4bpg whilst shooting .387 from three-point range. The taste of a rare talent was there in the mouths of NBA execs. He continued those types of numbers over the next three seasons, peaking with arguably his best half-season in 2001-02 as he put up 14.9ppg, 7.4rpg, 3.0bpg and .434 from deep for the Nuggets.
On 21 February, 2002 the Mavericks saw fit to bring his diverse talents on board in Texas. Along with Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson and Tariq Abdul-Wahad, LaFrentz was traded to the Mavs for Tim Hardaway, Juwan Howard, Donnell Harvey, a first rounder and cash.
He finished the 2002 season second in the NBA in blocks and the first player in NBA history to record 200 blocks and 100 threes in a season (no one has done it since). He was then named to Team USA’s squad that played at the 2002 FIBA World Championships — a team that ultimately ranked sixth. Nonetheless, Raef was a Team USA representative. That’s no mean feat. It’s not like they let guys like Christian Laettner play for Team USA.
Oh yeah, and the Mavs saw fit to throw $69-70m over seven years at the big fella. After all, you don’t let a three-point shooting shot-blocker just walk away, do you?
Unfortunately for Raef, it was after those WCs where things started to turn for the worse. Over his next six seasons in the league, LaFrentz only played more than 69 games twice. His numbers with Dallas, Boston and ultimately the Blazers, never hit their previous highs.
By the time he had made his way to Portland in June 2006, Raef turned into a walking injury. He played a total of 68 games from 2006-2008 with Portland and spent most of his time on the inactive list. His contract became his defining characteristic and its value as a trade option was the only context that poor old Raef was discussed in.
Anti-climatically, the Blazers never did find a suitable trade partner for RLEC, with it ultimately expiring, much like Raef’s career.
We salute RLEC.
