When Rick Fox was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1991, he arrived with big dreams, inspired by the legendary Larry Bird. Bird, at that point, had played 12 seasons and won three NBA championships, a career path Fox hoped to emulate. On Draft Night, Fox boldly declared his plan to reporters: win three NBA titles in a 12-year career. However, his aspirations were tested early, as Bird, then 35 and plagued by back issues, retired after Fox’s rookie season, leaving the Celtics in disarray.
The post-Bird era was rough for Boston. The team missed the playoffs in three of the next five seasons, and in the 1996-97 campaign, they managed just 15 wins. As Fox became a free agent that offseason, he verbally agreed to a lucrative $33 million extension with the Celtics, a deal that seemed to secure his future. But while awaiting the contract’s finalization, Fox received an unexpected call from the Los Angeles Lakers.
“They said I was the glue, I was the missing piece,” Fox recalled on the Giant Ventures podcast. The Lakers, however, could only offer him a one-year, $1 million deal—a stark contrast to Boston’s $33 million. “It looks like a smart move today, but it didn’t make my agents and managers happy when I turned down $33 million,” Fox admitted.
A Complicated Decision
Fox’s choice wasn’t as simple as chasing a championship over money. The story behind the $33 million deal with Boston was messy. Celtics head coach and team president Rick Pitino had negotiated with Fox on a Friday, and over the weekend, he flew to Los Angeles to sign big man Travis Knight to a seven-year, $20 million deal. Fox believed that by Monday, Boston would announce both his and Knight’s signings. Instead, he received a shocking call from his agent while waiting at a barbershop.
“I thought on Monday I was going to get a contract,” Fox said. “I was in my car waiting for the barbershop to open up, and my agent called me and said that I had been renounced.”
Boston had renounced Fox because they lacked the cap space to sign both him and Knight, and Pitino prioritized the latter. Celtics legend Red Auerbach personally called Fox to apologize, urging him to wait 90 days while the team worked out a plan to re-sign him. But by then, the Lakers had made their pitch, and Fox was intrigued, despite the massive pay cut.
Betting on Greatness
“I bet on myself,” Fox said. He saw something special in the Lakers—an organization, like the Celtics of old, relentlessly pursuing championships. He was drawn to the potential of a young Shaquille O’Neal and a team with a championship-driven mindset. “You put yourself in a room and surround yourself with the type of people that are championship mindset driven and will sacrifice at all costs to get there,” Fox explained. “And you will find yourself at some point at the top of the heap.”
Fox signed a series of one-year, $1 million deals with the Lakers, a risky move that paid off when Phil Jackson arrived as head coach in 1999. Jackson’s leadership transformed the team, and the Lakers won three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002, with Fox playing a key role as a versatile, hard-working contributor. By the time he retired in 2004, Fox had played 13 seasons—one more than his original 12-year plan—and earned the three championship rings he had dreamed of as a rookie.
A Career Defined by Courage
Rick Fox’s decision to leave $33 million on the table was a gamble that reshaped his career. It wasn’t just about money or titles; it was about believing in himself and aligning with a vision of greatness. His story serves as a reminder that sometimes, the boldest risks lead to the greatest rewards.