At an introductory news conference with the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, the former Detroit Pistons free agent bust pointed out how the next year is going to be a financial challenge.

“At the end of the day, you know, I do have a family,” he said. “So it is going to be a little harder on me this year. But I’m going to push through it, you know.”

At the end of the day, I wish I knew.

Smith signed a free agent contract for $1.5 million, but he will get another $5.4 million from his deal with the Pistons. If my math is correct, that’s $6.9 million.

Sure, L.A. real estate is crazy. But shouldn’t that salary allow him to at least rent a condo in Santa Monica and maybe spring for HBO when the cable guy shows up?

Sitting on stage with Smith on Tuesday was DeAndre Jordan, who caused the biggest stink of the NBA summer when he backed out of his commitment to Dallas and returned to the Clippers.

“I made a decision for me and my family,” he explained.

Ah, yes, the family.

That’s the human shield athletes routinely hold up to stave off accusations that they might be a tad greedy. Or in Smith’s case, that he might be forced to get a second job at Home Depot in order to make ends meet.

I’m all for hardworking Americans like Smith chasing the as big of a pay day a possible. But for the millionth time, could we ban jocks from using the tired take-care-of-my-family shtick?

No rant like this would be complete without a nod to the Patron Saint of Needy Families, Latrell Sprewell.

He once termed a three-year, $30-million offer from the Minnesota Timberwolves “insulting.”

“I have a lot of risk here,” he explained. “I got a family to feed.”

Josh Smith hears you, Spree.

He’s got a wife and three kids who must like to eat a lot. Then again, he has banked about $91 million in salary since joining the NBA.

I don’t know about you, but if I’d made about $8.3 million per year the past 11 years, I’d like to think I’d have enough in my savings account to feed my family for a few months, if not forever.

Then again, I guess you have to be in Smith’s financial position to really appreciate the strain he is facing. So please, if you have a dollar or two to spare, send it to Josh Smith, c/o the L.A. Clippers.

With your help, maybe he can push through.

Stupid show, but accurate in their portrayal of the dumb athlete that's bad with money and entourages.

You know... thats only about $2mm left

Geeze you guys are heartless

Bonn1997 wrote:It's the high California state income tax

At least he can scoop up a 2nd job a BK paying $15 an hr.

It can be a lot. Big mortgages and real estate expenses on top of cash starved business.
Spree went backcrupt.

smackeddog wrote:

fishmike wrote:well... $7mm
- $500k for baby momma #1
- $500k for baby momma #2
- $2.5mm in taxes
- $800k for union fees
- $700k agent fees

You know... thats only about $2mm left

Geeze you guys are heartless

Exactly, these boards have become devoid of care and compassion - first the thread attacking hard up billionaires in need of public funds to help pay the rent, and now this. I really didn't appreciate how fortunate I am until I read Josh Smiths tragic tale.

Good point. Maybe the board can have a whip round to try to make up the shortfall for his family?

arkrud wrote:This NBA players have a big extended family of suckers around them.
And when he will get less money now he will need to adjust his "trickle down" mini-economy.
Suckers will get paid less... what a shame...

you mean "extended family of bloodsuckers"

Apparently the headline was: Josh Smith went to the Clippers press conference and said he didn’t make enough money? Even the idea of it is kind of ridiculous. Anyone who knows me, or knows how one-year contracts work in the NBA, understood what I was saying. This is my third team in less than a year. I was talking about how moving affects my family. But the headline about greed was the one everyone ran with.

The whole thing about it being “harder on me” comes down to family. It seems obvious to me, but maybe I could have said it more clearly. If you know the NBA, you know that moving to a new team is a decision that affects an athlete’s whole family. That’s even more true when you’re signing a one-year deal. With a one-year deal, there’s less stability because you know you might be moving again in a year.