Making Spree should take a trip back to the real world
You won’t believe how the latest spoiled pro athlete has managed to complain about his multi-million dollar salary.
Or maybe you will.
You remember Latrell Sprewell, right? For much of the 1990s, he was the star of the Golden State Warriors.
Then one day he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, choked coach P.J. Carleismo at practice, cooled down for a minute, then came back and punched out P.J.
Just a pleasant person. He also tried to attack a teammate with a two-by-four at one point in his career. Really, I could go on.
For now, though, let’s just talk about his latest embarrassment.
Earlier this week, Sprewell – still an effective player, but starting to show his age at 34 – told reporters he wanted to be traded because he was insulted by the contract extension being offered by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Why would I want to help them win a title?” Sprewell asked before the start of the season. “They’re not doing anything for me. I’m at risk. I have a lot of risk here. I got my family to feed.”
He has his family to feed.
Keep in mind Spree is under contract for this season. Keep in mind he is under contract for 14.6 million dollars. Keep in mind the extension that was so insulting to this aging star was reportedly worth $30 million over three years.
It does make you wonder what Spree’s family eats for dinner.
My guess is third-world countries.
Now I know I seem a bit cynical about this whole thing. I’m merely a product of the suburbs who grew up with relative ease. I can’t possibly identify with someone trying to feed six kids while playing basketball for a living and bringing home a measly $178,000 a game.
And I do know it’s tough not to sympathize with a working dad just trying to get by on a mere $10 million a year.
I guess it’s just hard for me to forget the fact that Sprewell owns a yacht and rides a limo to Wolves’ games. Or the fact that he has a luxury vehicle for each day of the week, including a $300,000 Maybach that includes a champagne cooler in the armrest.
Maybe Sprewell, who grew up in the inner city of Milwaukee, just needs a little reminder of what the real world is like.
Maybe he should just come back to the Bay Area, make a pit stop here in Gilroy and swing by 99 Cents City on 10th Street.
There he would meet Carman Plata. She’s worked at the store for around four months, trying to save up as much money as possible.
Raising three teenage kids isn’t cheap – not when all three play sports. Playing sports isn’t cheap these days, you know.
So when her kids travel to these out-of-town soccer tournaments, often times one of their coaches is there to help out with the pay.
You think that’s easy for a parent to accept? And you think it’s easy to hear about an athlete you’ve never heard of whine about not getting by on a cool $30 mill?
“I make $7 an hour – that’s not very much,” Plata said. “So it’s a little hard for me to understand.”
You’re not the only one, Carman.
Alger Sotelo also lives in the real world.
Like Sprewell, Alger Sotelo has got kids to feed – one is 3 years old, the other is 9.
Unlike Spree, though, the avid Warriors’ fan gets by on minimum wage.
He’s 43 and works at a Taco Bell in Gilroy, bringing home around $900 a month. While it’s the only salary his family sees, they are resourceful. They do make it by.
“I feed my family pretty good,” Sotelo said. “We make it just fine and dandy.”
You will excuse him, though, if he’s a tad unsympathetic to Sprewell’s touching food drive.
“I have to say that’s pretty ridiculous,” Sotelo said between taking orders. “I don’t know why he doesn’t remember what it’s like in the real world.
“He grew up on the streets like me. He should know how it is. But once they get to the pros, it’s like they just don’t care anymore.”
If Sotelo had all that money? Like Plata, he would undoubtedly take care of his family first. After that, though?
After that, he said he would donate the rest to building a sports rec center in Gilroy. It would be similar to the one he practically grew up in back in Denver – “the type of place that keeps our kids out of trouble,” he said.
Some professional athletes do care about places like this, of course. Some of them make great contributions to their community and too often go unnoticed for it.
For those who always seem to make the news, though – those who just seem so out-of-touch with regular people like you and me – wouldn’t it be nice for them to retreat from their millionaire bubbles on occasion?
Wouldn’t it be nice if a guy like Sprewell could sit down and have a conversation with a guy like Sotelo? They could meet at Taco Bell. They could talk about basketball or family or politics.
Maybe Alger could get some things off his chest. Maybe Latrell could gain some much-needed perspective.
And maybe Spree’s starving children could order up some cheap quesadillas.
Maybe some day, sports fans.
Maybe some day …
