Monta Ellis, a guard for the Golden State Warriors, has a nice pay raise. During the last NBA season, he was earning $770,610.00, which is a healthy salary in the real world. Monta Ellis’ pay for the next season is a bit over eleven million dollars ($11,000,000.00). That is an increase of over fourteen times the salary for last season:

“…”We’re absolutely thrilled to have Monta under contract for the next several years,” Warriors executive vice-president Chris Mullin said. “He has been one of the top young players in the NBA for the last two years.”

Ellis averaged 20.2 averaged, 5.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 38.0 minutes in 81 games last season.”

link: Warriors ink Monta Ellis to $66M contract

It is a staggering contract. Other NBA players must be checking to see who Monta Ellis’ agent is. To place this in some context, the Golden State Warriors did not qualify for the playoffs in the 2007 - 2008 season. The Warriors finished nine games behind the Western Conference leaders. With sixty-six million dollar contracts being signed, it is really difficult to believe players when they say that ‘it is all about winning a championship’. It truly is about that huge number on the contract.

Catherine Forsythe