This is ice cold.
Richard Jefferson, the 17-year NBA veteran who collected a ring with the Cavaliers in 2016, has been part of the Brooklyn Nets broadcasts for a couple of seasons now. Sunday, as the Nets were taking on the cross-town Knicks, Jefferson said he knew it was time for him to retire when only the Knicks were offering him a contract.
"Knicks? No, I'll retire. That's why I retired, they were the one team that offered me a job."
— ESPN (@espn) November 25, 2019
Richard Jefferson said he knew his time in the league was up when the Knicks were the only team that wanted him. pic.twitter.com/OnH2sYTOUE
Ouch.
Kicking the Knicks when they’re down is sport for some in the media, but this stings a little more because it’s recently retired player speaking to the feeling among players and agents about New York. Kevin Durant wasn’t wrong when he said the Knicks are not seen as a cool brand by a lot of players now.
Jefferson was in a position he could retire, having earned $116 million in salary over his career, plus having broadcasting options sitting in front of him. For a lot of players (with the Knicks and other struggling franchises) not getting a paycheck is not an option. The window to earn money as a professional athlete is short and nobody should fault a guy for wanting to grab that bag.
