Winning a Championship is a rare honor in the NBA. Therefore, many players sacrifice their production and a hefty payday to have a shot at the title by joining a legitimate contender team. David West also believed in taking a huge pay cut and a reduced role to live his ultimate dream. The 2003 #18 Draft pick had remarkable tenures for the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, and the San Antonio Spurs, but finished his career with the Golden State Warriors as a two-time NBA Champion.
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Before joining the Spurs, West was one of the main options for the Indiana Pacers. During the 2015 offseason, he had a player option for $12.6 million, but he turned it down to better his chances of winning an NBA ring. The power forward did get his wish fulfilled in 2017 when he won his first Championship with the Warriors.
During his appearance on the Forgotten Seasons pod, the crew replayed the tape of when West had won his first NBA ring. A reporter had asked him about turning down the money for the ring. “Look. You can’t take it with you [after death], the Egyptians learned that. You can’t bury and take the treasures with you,” David West told the reporter. The two-time NBA Champion was referring to Egyptian Kings or Pharaohs being buried in pyramids with their accumulated wealth to take to the next life. However, the practice served no purpose as nobody could carry their wealth to the other world.
On the Forgotten Seasons pod, West explained his quote in further detail. He noted how money can never replace the experiences that people go through in life. After having played 10+ seasons in the NBA, the versatile 6’9” Forward was looking to end his career with an irreplaceable souvenir like the NBA Championship.
“They would bury themselves with the sort of monetary gains. They couldn’t take it with them. The things that you carry with you are your memories, are your experiences. As we get older, we realize that those things that are the most valuable. I was chasing a feeling more than a monetary number,” West told the co-hosts.
The former Warriors Forward got to live his dream not once but twice.
The David West experience
After declining the $10 million+ contract, West joined the Spurs, who won 67 games against 15 losses before falling to OKC Thunder in the West Semis. Next season, the bruised Forward joined the Warriors, which had won 73 games in the 2015-16 season and had fumbled a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Finals. However, Stephen Curry and Co. won two straight titles after acquiring Kevin Durant in free agency. David West was right in the middle of these two incredible championships. After winning his second straight ring, the forward decided to hang his boots to cap off his career on a high.
He made less than $6 million in his last three years, which isn’t even half of what he could have made in a year, had he remained with Pacers. Apart from that, his minutes were slashed in half and he had a significantly reduced role. Despite these factors, the 43-year-old got to enjoy a ride that he considers worth it. Apart from that, the Warriors enjoyed the presence of a veteran who was well-known for his vocal leadership and amicable personality.
