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| The look on Eddy Curry's face says it all...no mas D'antoni. |
Summary: Eddy Curry has long been the poster-child for terrible, rotten contracts in the NBA. His career began with promise, but crashed within the span of a few years.
History: Even though he had signed a letter of intent to play at DePaul, Curry chose to forgo college and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the fourth overall pick in 2001.
Curry plowed through four seasons with the Bulls, posting a strong field goal percentage and even leading the team in scoring in his fourth season. However, near the end of that season, Curry was hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat, missing the final 13 games of the regular season and the entirety of the playoffs. In October of that year, after refusing to submit to a team-mandated DNA test in relation to his heart condition, the Bulls traded Curry to New York. In the process, the Knicks signed him to one of the most contraversial contracts in NBA sports history: six years, $60 million, uninsured.
The 2005-2006 season was characterized by Curry not living up to his trade value. His scoring and rebounding numbers were depressed, and his work ethic was called into question. Yet, his sophomore season with the Knicks was much better. His averages climbed to career highs of 19.6 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. But in 2007-2008, expectations were much higher, as he and newly-acquired PF Zach Randolph were expected to form a formidable frontcourt duo. They both bombed, Curry more so than Randolph. Curry showed up at training camp way out of shape, lost his starting job, and ended up seeing the court in only three games that season due to a sore knee, and honestly, inability to play quality basketball. Curry "worked" "hard" to get ready for the 2009-2010 season, but couldn't shed enough weight to make an impact on the squad. He was MIA for a season and a half, and his contract was finally traded in the Carmelo Anthony deal in February 2011. It was bought out by the Timberwolves, and Curry found himself without a job. He made an attempt to crack the Miami Heat squad as a backup center, working out for the team in April, but he failed to make the cut.
Punchline: Eddy Curry is a walking punchline, which made his time with the Knicks nothing short of a "dramedy". No one felt sorry for a man who got paid $60 million over six years, collapsed under the strain of his giant gut, went into bankruptcy, and was nowhere near the court for nearly two years. Knicks fans were grumpy, to say the least. Here are the three sides of Eddy Curry that got him into trouble: his demeanor, his appearance, his injuries. Curry has major weight problems, he lacks the discipline to keep his body healthy and in NBA game shape, and his attitude, well, sucks. Increasingly frustrated by their team's rotten investment, Knicks fans ripped into Curry on every occasion, perhaps not as vehemently as they punished the man who offered the contract, Isiah Thomas, but vehemently enough to place blame on him for season after season of disappointment.
More disturbing, and illuminating, are his alleged personal scandals. On January 12, 2009, his male chauffeur, David Kuchinsky, filed a sexual harassment suit against Curry, claiming that he repeatedly approached him "in the nude," saying, "Look at me, Dave, look," and "Come and touch it, Dave." According to the report filed in a Manhattan court, Curry, a married father of many children, also reportedly made Kuchinsky perform "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing dirty towels [into which Curry had ejaculated] so that his wife would not see them," and calling him racial slurs like "f***ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil," and "grandmaster of the KKK." He also alleges that Curry pointed a loaded gun at him on two separate occasions and owes him tens of thousands of dollars in wages and back payments.
Just 13 days later, Curry's ex-wife Nova Henry and their nine-month-old daughter were found murdered in Chicago. The attorney that oversaw the custody battle over the child was brought in on two counts of first degree murder.
By June of that year, Curry's house was foreclosed on, as he owed hundreds of thousands in back payments on the mortgage. The $60 million man found a way to spend all his money, and more.
In June of 2010, an arrest warrant was issued for Curry, as he had failed to pay $200,000 in hush money to an underage girl with whom he had had a six-month relationship with when he was 18. The payments were part of a settlement from 2007.
Now, while the limo driver's allegations may not be true, the legal troubles detailed above clearly show that Eddy Curry's personal life is an exercise in dysfunction. If the man has trouble putting the pieces together at home, what chance did he have to make things work on the court?
Future: Believe it or not, Curry may still have a future in the NBA, which is a testament to how thin the market is for 6-11, 7-foot centers. Apparently, since his trade in February, he lost 100 pounds while working with famed trainer Tim Grover. Heat President Pat Riley has reportedly told him that if he reaches a certain weight by the start of training camps, he will offer him a contract for the veteran's minimum. The lockout is a good thing for Curry, as training camps are likely months away, affording him more time to work that extra weight off.
Yet, old habits aren't easily forgotten. Curry was slated to play in the Melo League exhibition match on Tuesday, but never showed.
Parallels can be drawn between Curry and famed Oakland Raiders flameout JaMarcus Russell. Russell had all the chances in the world to succeed. Like Curry, he burned his team with lack of proper conditioning. Like Curry, many believed that if he worked hard enough, he could find his way back into the pros. Like Curry, he was drafted high and possesses a fair amount of talent. Russell gave up on the NFL, as he is currently working on his bachelor's degree. The next few months will show us whether Curry can survive in the NBA or is better off trying his hand at a different career.
Biggest Punchlines is a recurring segment. Click here for last week's edition.
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Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.
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