Turkoglu is proof that NBA needs to adopt wisdom of NFL

Guaranteed contracts. What is it about guaranteed contracts that NBA Commissioner David Stern doesn’t recognize as an attack on the leagues’ loyal fans? Whether it be injury, weak performance, or bad hair days, it seems that most teams, most of the time, regret the contracts they sign.

After 15 years of attending Raptors games, I’ve seen my share of wonky contracts:

Andrea Bargnani — $50 million for 5 years; not to be a backseat driver, but something tells me he would’ve signed for, say, $30 million.

Jason Kapono — he was to be the gift of the 2008 season, and we blew our US$7 million space on him. Other than his big night at the NBA All-Star game, he had a very quiet year. Couldn’t have defended against a 12 year old. Fortunately, the Raps were able to ship his egregious guaranteed contract for someone else to chew through.

Alonzo Mourning — the guy refuses to show up to play, and still earns US$10 million. Name a job that pays you even if you don’t show up to work? Even after you release him, his contract hits the salary cap for two additional years.

Hakeem Olajuwon — did he take the court more than 10 times after the big contract signing, all of which was done to make Vince Carter happy enough to re-sign.

And that’s just a smattering. It is Hedo Turkoglu who serves as the poster boy of what’s wrong with the NBA’s approach to contracts.

Rather than get himself ready for the Raptors after last summer’s signing, Mr. Turkoglu blows his brains out on the European Championships. He arrives at training camp too tired to play. But, worry not, for his active off-season will mean he’s as sharp as a tack, right?

Wrong. He’s somehow both out of shape and sync weeks into the NBA season, defeating the entire rationale for allowing players to run themselves into the ground for their home country. What about the country that’s made them multi-millionaires?

A broken facial bone? He refuses to wear a protective mask until his General Manager reminds him, via the media, that it is a component of the NBA’s Collective Agreement. A few weeks later, he leaves the game at half time with stomache issues, and is seen at a Yorkville restaurant that evening by fans. Fans who knew where he wasn’t for the 2nd half of that night’s game.

Tukoflu, as it was dubbed by the Globe’s Michael Grange, spoke volumes about the attitude of our heralded hired gun. Everyone who works, for any price, knows that when you call in sick, you don’t go out shopping, or clubbing, that night. It’s imprinted into the brain of every working stiff around the planet.

Except Mr. Turkoglu.

He wasn’t done, however, as we saw last night. There’s not a spin doctor in Istanbul who can help him escape yesterday’s error in judgment: celebrating WITH the Golden State Warriors as Chris Bosh lay underneath the basket (hat tip Doug Smith).

Mr. Turkoglu’s value has fallen so far, so fast, we could probably trade him for Stephon Marbury, but no more.

The NFL knows how to run a business, and the NBA needs to get on board. Over at the NFL, it goes something like this: Here’s your five year contract, and for big money, but if you dog-it, we’ll cut you. It keeps prices down, and, remarkably, the players keep trying.

What a concept.

In part, it may explain why the NFL is both the most popular and most profitable sport on the continent.

Next Fall, when Chris Bosh is gone and the face of the Raptors is Mr. Turkoglu, I doubt any fan at the ACC will care if the owners lock out the players when the Collective Agreement expires. Let’s take a season off, or four for that matter.

Mr. Turkoglu will have plenty of free time to enjoy the Oysters at Flow.

MRM