NBA star Dennis Schroder hasn’t addressed the decision that made him the butt of jokes around the NBA and on social media – until now.
The 28-year-old former Lakers guard gambled on himself when he rejected a four-year $114 million (AUD) contract with Los Angeles to test his value on the free agency market, only to land at the Boston Celtics on a one-year $8 million deal.
READ MORE: Cricket legend retires from commentary box
READ MORE: Ben Simmons saga takes another twist after 76ers ‘backflip‘
READ MORE: Why Ricciardo’s resurgence is worth millions for McLaren
READ MORE: Schumacher feared death at 1999 British GP crash
The decision ultimately cost Schroder over $100 million with talk shows, social media, players and former players making light of his costly miscue with endless memes poking fun at his monumental loss.
Reports emerged last month the guard was still struggling to come to terms with how things played out, especially since the Lakers moved on by signing triple-double machine and former MVP Russell Westbrook.
While he might be disappointed about missing out on the bag of cash, it’s clear Schroder is doing OK.
On his birthday, the former OKC guard took to Instagram to hit back at critics by posting a photo of himself with his head in his hands, jokingly in despair, surrounded by two luxury supercars and personalised designer baggage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT2ibrTsWAK/?utm_source=ig_embed&
“I’m gonna do this ONE time! Insert your best “fumbled the bag” joke here,” he captioned.
“It’s my birthday so let’s get this over with and get back to business.”
According to multiple reports there were several teams interested in Schroder, despite a rough playoffs run.
However, he was viewed as a back-up option if teams couldn’t secure other players such as Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker, who signed deals with Miami and New York respectively.
Schroder averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43.7 per cent from the field for the Lakers last season.
He’s viewed as a solid two-way player and will add another dimension on the defensive end alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston.
Schroder will split point guard duties with Marcus Smart, and will be looking for a huge bounce back year in a bid to make the money back next offseason as a free agent.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!