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Boston, MassachusettesJune 17, 2008 Lakers Kobe bryant, Pau Gasol and Vladimir Radmanovich watch the final miuntes against the Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the TD Banknorth Center Tuesday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Boston, MassachusettesJune 17, 2008 Lakers Kobe bryant, Pau Gasol and Vladimir Radmanovich watch the final miuntes against the Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the TD Banknorth Center Tuesday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Thanks to the immense popularity of the sport and the league, superstars in the NBA are paid millions of dollars. However, sometimes these contracts consist of certain conditions. For instance, when Kobe Bryant played for the Lakers, one of his teammates lost out on a lot due to a contract violation.
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Vladimir Radmanovic from Serbia signed with the Lakers in a blockbuster deal. However, the team did not allow him to participate in another sport.
This was done so as to prevent unnecessary injuries. A freak accident during snowboarding almost ended his time with the Lakers. However, Vladimir was destined for something else.
Why did Vladimir Radmanovic, a former Laker, almost lose his contract?
The Los Angeles Lakers boast of having some of the biggest names in NBA history play for them. Names like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson are just some of the stars who have played for the franchise.
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 12: Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate following Game Four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Needless to say, playing for the Lakers is an ultimate dream for athletes all around the world. The Lakers signed Vladimir in a blockbuster $30 million deal.
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However, his contract had an interesting clause in it. It prohibited Vladimir from participating in any other sport in order to prevent injuries. Despite the clause, he went snowboarding in Utah which injured him badly.
This spelled danger for the former Lakers star as he could lose his contract. Interestingly enough, Radmanovic lied about slipping and injuring himself, and the then Lakers owner, Jerry Buss, believed him!
A few days later, Radmanovic confessed everything to Buss. Instead of stripping him off of his $30 million contract, the Lakers fined Radmanovic $500k.
Did Radmanovic and Kobe Bryant play together?
The Serbian was signed by the Lakers prior to the 2006-07 season and he spent 3 seasons with the Lakers. He averaged 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 162 games with Kobe Bryant.
On the other hand, Kobe averaged 28.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 162 games with Radmanovic.
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Written by
Edited by
Paras Pande