Former NBA player Joe Smith discloses the financial toll of an $80 million under-the-table deal scandal.
Former NBA player Joe Smith claims to have lost $80 million after the NBA discovered an "under-the-table" deal between him and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In a recent interview with VladTV, Smith revealed the details of the scandal that unfolded early in his career.
After being selected as the No. 1 pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA draft,
Smith played for the Warriors for two and a half seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following the 1999 NBA lockout, he signed a suspiciously low one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Timberwolves, raising eyebrows in the league.
The NBA found out about an under-the-table deal between Smith and the Timberwolves, involving him signing three consecutive minimal one-year deals.
This arrangement allowed the team to acquire his Bird rights and eventually exceed the salary cap to sign him to a more lucrative deal.