Never forget the number one lesson about money in life: when you go, it goes. Jalen Duren has clearly forgotten it.
Jalen Duren held out for more than two months, hoping to bump his $190 million deal with the Detroit Pistons to at least $200 million. He succeeded. He’s not the first player, and he definitely won’t be the last, to make a fuss over a few million, no matter how wealthy.
But what really stands out is how greedy Duren appears, especially given his sizeable drop-off in stats once last season’s playoffs started.
He reminds me of Eugene “Mr.” Krabs, the boss of SpongeBob SquarePants. Krabs is known for his unending greed, and he has little patience with others while he pursues it. He sold SpongeBob’s soul for 62 cents and pushed Squidward to temporarily quit The Krusty Krab after accusing him of stealing Krabs’ first dime. Geez!
Jalen Duren (photo courtesy Piston Powered)
Now, cue Jalen Duren. He’s greedy, without a doubt, and he seems to care little for others. Generational wealth is at stake. Obviously, it’s Duren’s money. But what about other things? His future children? His future grandchildren? If played right, the kind of money Duran makes in the NBA can launch a family dynasty with wealth and prosperity for generations.
Yet he seriously considered taking his $9.6 million one-year qualifying offer, hoping another team would offer him a contract worth $200 million or more. That’s a whopping $180.4 million pay cut from the contract he was offered then, and a $190.4 million pay cut from the contract he eventually signed with Detroit.
This situation perfectly demonstrates man’s hubris. In a different universe, Duren could have followed Dennis Schröder’s path and let his ego permanently damage his financial security. We watched a living, breathing, thinking man risk his future, and his family’s, for a sum of money worth 5.3% of his total contract at the time.
Don’t be like Krabs, and don’t be like Duren. If you climb to the top of the mountain and forget those you hold dear, nothing will wait for you but the cold whispers of what could have been.
