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Rockets, Bulls, Spurs: Championship caliber contracts: 1995-1999

By N.B. Lindberg

San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott (L), Mario Elie (C) and Tim Duncan watch from the bench as the Spurs lose to the New York Knicks during game three of the NBA Finals 21 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won the game 89-81. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/ROBERT SULLIVAN (Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs players Sean Elliott (L), Mario Elie (C) and Tim Duncan watch from the bench as the Spurs lose to the New York Knicks during game three of the NBA Finals 21 June, 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won the game 89-81. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO/ROBERT SULLIVAN (Photo by ROBERT SULLIVAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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NBA (Photo credit should read ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP via Getty Images) /

The NBA Finals come down to championship-caliber contracts. These are the players who helped the Bulls, Rockets, and Spurs win championships from 1995-1999.

The NBA’s introduction of a salary-cap in the 1984-85 season would forever alter the trajectory of the league. Tied to league-wide revenue, the salary cap has seen steady growth as the NBA has grown into one of the largest sports leagues in the world. While the cap can be exceeded to a degree through exceptions, the salary cap places a limit on how much teams can spend and players can earn. One of the most consequential ramifications is that a player’s contract is now almost as important as their production.

Since 1985 every NBA Champion has had a championship-caliber contract or contracts. These contracts, so unrepresentative of a player’s production, are how championship teams balance the books, win games and build dynasties. NBA superstars receive most of the glory as they lift the Larry O’Brien trophy but their and the team’s success is many times owed to a less-heralded player making far less than they deserve.

1995-1999

This five year period is once again dominated by the Chicago Bulls, who won three straight from 1996 to 1998. However, in 1995 the Houston Rockets repeated as champions with one of the worst regular-season teams to ever win a title. A shrewd mid-season trade saved their season and brought the Rockets their franchises second and most recent championship. Michael Jordan, back and in basketball shape partnered with Scottie Pippen again as the Bulls ran roughshod over the league for the next three seasons and solidified Jordan’s status as the GOAT. After a lockout that shortened the 1999 season the San Antonio Spurs, led by a young Tim Duncan, captured their franchises first championship and kick-started one of the greatest runs in the history of the sport.

What makes a championship-caliber contract?

Methodology: Each player’s salary will be represented as a percentage of the salary cap with smaller percentages being better. The player’s value to his team will be their regular season and playoff Win Shares combined. Each Win Share, on average, costs 2.4 percent of the salary cap. Why? An average team will win 41 games or be expected to have 41 Win Shares and an average team will be at the salary cap or 100 percent of the salary cap. Meaning a Win Share should cost 1/41st of the salary cap. Finally, the player’s contract will be subtracted from their value to show their surplus-value. Multiple players are eligible for every championship team.