Conley on record contract: '2 years from now everybody else will be making so much more'
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Grizzlies wanted to keep Mike Conley so much that they gave their veteran point guard the richest contract in NBA history.
For Conley, the basketball - and pressure - is in his court after signing a five-year, $153 million deal Thursday.
Conley's play will be closely monitored during an upcoming season in which he will earn more than new Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, a seven-time All-Star with four league scoring titles and an NBA Most Valuable Player award. Durant signed a two-year, $54.3 million deal.
Conley doesn't expect the lucrative deal to affect his play.
''It's amazing the opportunity I've been given,'' Conley said. ''As far as the pressure, it's hard to really gauge that because I put pressure on myself to perform regardless. The amount of money I make is not going to change how I approach the game. I'm going to continue to be aggressive and do a lot better than I did last season and the season before.''
Conley, a 28-year-old point guard, has played nine seasons with the Grizzlies during which he has averaged 13.5 points and 5.6 assists. He led the Grizzlies to the 2013 Western Conference finals, the farthest the franchise has advanced in the postseason.
''I'll take the heat right now (on being the highest-paid NBA player),'' Conley said. ''Eventually, it will all die down. Two years from now everybody else will be making so much more.''
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In Conley's non-All-Star selection defense, he has played in the Western Conference during his career with point guards Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Tony Parker and Steve Nash.
''He's our All-Star,'' said Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace. ''He's an elite point guard in this league. It's unanimous around the league that he's one of the top-tier players at his position, a very crucial position.''
At an on-court ceremony at FedExForum celebrating the signing, Conley announced he was donating $1 million to the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aids at-risk youth in the community. The $1 million was matched by the franchise's ownership group led by majority owner Robert Pera.
Conley used the press conference - also attended by Grizzlies MVP season-ticket holders - to address the recent tragedy in Dallas, where five policemen were killed by a lone gunman, and the nationwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
''I'm a quiet guy, I'm very reserved,'' he said. ''At the same time, as much as I want to lead by example, I know when it's time to speak up. Right now is that time ... It's not about money, we have to be on the forefront to set examples for the kids. We need to become mentors for the youth.''