11/05/24
October 04, 2005
"I'm sad to see him go.":
The Chicago Bulls wanted Eddy Curry to submit to a DNA test to determine whether or not he is genetically predisposed to developing a fatal heart problem (i.e. Hank Gathers, and Reggie Lewis). While testing could potentially save his life, it could also cost him millions of dollars in free agent negotiations. Commissioner Stern is for testing, but the union is against it because of the privacy issues involved, and the fact it could be used as a precedent for DNA testing being used as a bargaining "tool". Curry decided to forego the testing, and opted for a sign and trade with the Knicks.
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 02:24 PM - 12 comments
Soooooooo..... Isiah pulled another above average player into the mix. As a Knicks fan, I cant wait to see what gonna happen this year. Will the Knicks make the playoffs? Maybe. They should with the weak eastern confrence. If they can work out all of the average players to play together under Brown, they can be good. Trouble is, they probally wont.
posted by redsoxrgay at 02:57 PM on October 04, 2005
If he wants the test done for his own health, he can have it done and that is his business. If they want it done as research on their investment in him, then that is their problem. Its not like he can't go and have the test done...or maybe he already has and doesn't want to share with them. They did what they had to do and he did what he had to. They seem to be confusing the "testing" part with the "releasing to the team and league" part. "A small number of patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy have an increased risk of premature death, which may occur with little or no warning. Systematic evaluation can identify the majority of patients at particular risk, with potential for targeted therapy i.e. drugs, pacemaker, ICD or surgery as appropriate." Don't you think if he was in that group they would have already told him that he was a candidate for that type of treatment? I'm sure he saw a doctor when this whole thing went down, right? Probably worst case for him, in terms of his basketball career (but good for staying alive), would be to find out he needed a pacemaker, ICD, or other major surgery.
posted by chris2sy at 03:03 PM on October 04, 2005
I would've taken the $400,000 for 50 years and had the stupid test. That's $20 million. Just for the test? Works for me. I know it was just a big ploy to get him into the doctor's office. But that's a pretty good ploy.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:41 PM on October 04, 2005
Probably worst case for him, in terms of his basketball career (but good for staying alive), would be to find out he needed a pacemaker, ICD, or other major surgery. Absolutely. But the team he signs with would almost certainly see this as a red flag and sit him. See Fred Hoiberg.
posted by lilnemo at 03:46 PM on October 04, 2005
I think Curry did absolutely the right thing. $400,000 a year is a lot to normal folk, but not in the world of the NBA. And, one cardiologist who specializes in this particular disease suggested the genetic testing while the rest of the cardiologists cleared him to play. This is not a standard test for anyone with a benign arrhythmia. As such, it becomes much more of a precautionary and screening type exam than one that is medically necessary.
posted by bperk at 04:16 PM on October 04, 2005
But they were still gunna pay him to do something unecessary.and he could still have probably gotten a contract with 1 of the teams,regardless of the results.
posted by HOE.O.K. at 05:14 PM on October 04, 2005
Heart issue aside, I like this trade for the Knicks. Wow, haven't been able to say that since Isaiah first came to New York. Curry is a young player that has played very well at times and has tremendous upside at this point in his career. He also has that rare size and strength that teams drool over. Tim Thomas hasn't been the player they had hoped they were acquiring from the Bucks and Sweetney is an undersized PF with decent skills, but limited NBA value. Antonio Davis is nowhere near the player he once was, but you could do worse for a salary cap throw in. The team as a whole still has a ton of problems to adress, but the trade is one step in the right direction.
posted by bigrobbieb at 06:01 PM on October 04, 2005
I am glad that Curry did not submit to the test. It is none of the Bulls business. He could very easily go to his own physician, have the test, and the two of them could make the decision on whether he is healthy to play. The Bulls only want to do the test themselves so they can see the results. No other company on the planet has the right to force you to take a DNA test, neither should Pro sports. Good for Curry for standing his ground.
posted by mcstan13 at 08:58 PM on October 04, 2005
That's $20 million. Um, actually it's not. Because of the time value of money (or the interest that money earns or forgoes over time), that annual sum that Curry would receive actually has diminishing value over time. In fact, the $400,000 he would stand to earn in Year 50 would amount to around $3,400 if we are using a 10% investment rate (finance geeks, please check my math). And that ain't buying much of anyone's lifestyle. The long-term pro sports deal, particularly one that is back-loaded, is one of the first cases studied in Finance class, just to show how little money actually changes hands. A 50-year payout is a PR move more than anything. I'm not saying Curry would've been making chump change at the beginning of such a deal, but it's no $20 million in total.
posted by smithers at 09:33 PM on October 04, 2005
Yes, well after 25 years of relative value and investing, I wouldn't be particularly worried about the $3,400 real value in year 50. I wouldn't suggest that this would be his sole source of income either. It's totally like winning a Cash for Life lottery. Only better.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:56 AM on October 05, 2005
Even if they had paid 100 million, the Bulls don't have a right to require Curry to provide that kind of information. That said... Why can't Curry get this test done privately? Isn't this something he'd want to know for his own health? If he did get it done privately and it was determined that he's completely healthy, he could have leveraged that information into 20 million extra dollars, apparently. Weird situation.
posted by chmurray at 12:50 PM on October 05, 2005
The Knicks get: Eddy Curry Antonio Davis The Bulls get: Tim Thomas Michael Sweetney Jermaine Jackson The Knicks might not be too happy with what they see in Jerome James, and Curry (as risky as his acquisition is) has a proven low-post game, though his rebounding and defense are somewhat suspect. Antonio Davis will be a welcome addition to what has been a rail thin Knicks lineup. As for the Bulls, Jackson will most likely be cut and Tim Thomas will be coming off the books at the end of the season (if he isn't traded first). The only salvageable part of this deal for the Bulls is Sweetney, a bull in the paint, Sweetney is effective at taking up space and snaring rebounds and has a soft touch around the basket. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sweetney start at the 4, but his size is going to slow down the Bulls running game.