San Antonio Spurs: Boris Diaw Can Make $500,000 In Bonuses For Weight Management

Some people try to maintain their weight to please their significant other. Some do it for their own personal self-confidence and hell, some even do it to avoid being made fun of by the slimmer, more in shape side of the world.

But there are some of those who are of the more fortunate few and they get the luxury of being award half a million dollars for keeping their figure appropriate. Yes, you read that correctly and that’s what the San Antonio Spurs have laid out on the table for veteran big man Boris Diaw if he can keep his weight at or less than 254 pounds throughout the season.

As seen by Bleacher Report’s Dan Carson, the incentives for Diaw managing his weight are broken up into three separate bonuses:

• If Diaw weighs less than or equal to 254 pounds on Oct. 25, he makes $150,000.
• If he still weighs less than or equal to 254 pounds by the Tuesday after the NBA All-Star Game, he makes another $150,000.
• Lastly, if Diaw weighs in at 254 or less on April 1, he rakes in $200,000—because they really need him lean for the postseason.

Diaw signed a similar weight incentive contract last season as was able to live up to its requirements as well.

But is the veteran worthy of such a bonus for some simple weight management heading into his 12th NBA season? I would like to believe so.

Diaw concluded the season as the Spurs’ sixth leading scorer, which doesn’t normally sound too appealing, but the guys filling the stats sheet up at a higher rate were Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

He was also the fourth-leading rebounder, behind only Duncan, Leonard and Tiago Splitter. But what is most notable about Diaw is his ability to facilitate from the post or while doing that unorthodox drive to the rim that he likes so much, which contributes to his 3.4 assists per game average. This is good enough to have Diaw as the third-leading assists man on a very pass-happy Spurs’ roster.

These don’t seem the most outstanding numbers, but by being among the top handful of each of the three primary statistical categories on a team that is known league-wide for their coach, Gregg Popovich’s willingness to reach to the very depths of any bench rotation, it speaks to how impactful he can be without being a primary options. This all adds up to ultimately ensure Diaw stands as a crucial piece to every Spurs’ playoff and championship run they embark on.

Not only is that worthy of a contract incentive for keeping his weight under control, but Diaw will argue it’s worthy of a nice glass of wine as well.