–Here is what Larry Hughes said to me and Lisa Salters from ABC before the game. Lisa couldn’t believe it and made sure he knew what he was saying. Here it is:
“I play to enjoy myself, some people take this the wrong way, but winning a championship is not what I base everything on. I was given an opportunity to play basketball, travel around and have fun doing it and that’s what I want to do. I wouldn’t take being unhappy and not being myself and winning.
I would rather enjoy myself with 18,000-20,000 people watching the game and the people sending fan mail and those things and be happy…I didn’t come here to play the point guard, that’s just it. I came here to run the wing, just like he was running the other wing. I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that.”
I do understand that Larry did make sacrifices when he played for the Cavs. I do understand that he was not playing in a system that thrilled him. But I cannot believe he is saying he would rather have fun — read: getting to run around the way he wants and take lots and lots of shots — than win. I thought winning is fun, sitting at home at watching the playoffs is no fun according to most NBA players I’ve known. I can see not playing at all, just sitting on the bench. But if you are a big part of a winning team, I thought that was desirable. Very few players in this league get everything they want, most of the time you have to settle. As long as Larry was being paid what he was being paid, I’d think some settling would’ve been acceptable. That’s the other thing, the comment about just winning and getting paid. Larry earned $4 million in bonuses over the last two years because the Cavs hit win targets in his contract. The more the team won, the more he did get paid. That said, in the playoff run last season, even before he got hurt, I didn’t get the sense that he was happy. I never saw that joy from him, so I think this is probably more than just lip service, I think he really means it.
So I suppose today was interesting for Larry. He got 20 shots, he got 23 points, he got shut down in the stretch run by LeBron and then had to watch as LeBron carried the Cavs to a win. Under his terms, I suppose it was a happy afternoon. Plus he said he got to see his pet bulldogs, which he said was the only thing he missed in Cleveland.
