Basketball players work extremely hard to get that ‘one in a million’ chance to play in the NBA. To put in your blood, sweat, and tears from a young age to help yourself and your family come out of financial instability is every man’s dream. 

Once a player makes it to the NBA, however, it’s a completely different mental game. Many may think that NBA players instantly become millionaires and have nothing to worry about, but a former Warriors star’s last NBA ‘Lock Out’ experience may make you think otherwise.

Former GSW star’s last NBA ‘Lock Out’ experience 

In a recent podcast interview with “Djvlad”, former NBA veteran Joe Smith opens up about his last NBA season. After mentioning the 2011 NBA ‘Lock Out’, the host asks Joe Smith, “Did you think you’d get picked out by another team after it was over?” Joe Smith responds, “Actually, before the ‘lockout’, I was kind of hopeful. You know, the ‘Lock Out’ actually, it was just a discussion before the summer. So I was hoping we could get a deal down where we didn’t need to have a ‘lock out’.”

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The former NBA veteran then explains how he knew that he was getting old. He says, “I knew that…you know, I was 36 or 37 at the time. I knew I was getting up in age, and after lockout, it would be hard for me to find a job, as a player in the league at that point.”

Joe Smith confesses he hoped that the ‘Lockout’ didn’t happen but once it happened, he knew his chances of getting picked by a team were low. The GSW veteran then explains how quickly the deals and transactions happen after a ‘lock out’ and how the older guys get ‘pushed out. 

However, this was not the first time Joe Smith was in a ‘lock out’ situation. In the controversial 2000 NBA ‘Lock Out’, Joe Smith was on the other side of the spectrum.

Joe Smith’s Controversial NBA ‘Lock Out’ Experience

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Joe Smith entered the NBA as the No.1 pick of the 1st round in the 1995 NBA draft. During his 17-year NBA career, Joe Smith played for 12 different NBA teams. He was a good ‘role player’ in almost every team he played in but many believe that he didn’t reach his true potential as a basketball player. Despite his turbulent NBA career playing for different NBA teams, he was most famous for his involvement in the controversial NBA ‘Lock Out’ in the year 2000. Joe Smith was involved in an ‘Under-the-Table’ deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the NBA ‘lockout’ in 2000. The deal was to basically have Smith’s bird rights, meaning that at the end of that third term, Smith would get paid as much as $86 million. 

However, this highly illegal contract came out in the media because of two sports agents’ court battles against each other. The then NBA Commissioner immediately fined the Timberwolves $3.5 million. The NBA also voided all of Joe Smith’s contracts (including his bird rights with the Timberwolves). Joe Smith was just in his 5th year in the NBA then.

What are your thoughts on Joe Smith’s last NBA ‘Lock Out’ experience? Let us know in the comment below!

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