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Million-Dollar Sports Injuries

Not that long ago, the New York Knicks’ assistant general manager, Allan Houston, was an active member of the team. While he played with them, he distinguished himself as a consistently high scorer. So when Houston’s contract came up for renewal in 2001, signing him again seemed like a no-brainer — even if the $100 million price tag seemed a little steep.

What no one foresaw was the bevy of knee injuries that would afflict him during the 2003-2004 season, causing him to miss 32 games. Houston returned to the court but his pain was persistent and he only played in 20 games in the 2004-2005 season. Houston played his last game in December 2004 and announced his retirement in 2005. There was still the matter of his $100 million salary, all of which was guaranteed, and all of which he received for doing nothing but nurse a knee injury.