Earl Clark has taken another step toward becoming a multi-millionaire. Another University of Louisville basketball fan favorite, he officially signed a four-year contract this week with the Phoenix Suns.
The rookie scale and allowances are expected to pay him $1.77 million this season and $1.89 million next year. Third- and fourth-year team options are worth $2.03 million and $3.01 million, respectively.
Millions for perceived potential. What a country.
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The way physical statistics are tossed hither and yon in college basketball, one can never really be sure how a player really stacks in some key measures. They don’t mess around in the NBA, where basketball is officially a business.
Now Clark’s official stats can be revealed, thanks to DraftExpress:
Height without shoes:Â 6-foot-8 and a half.
Height with shoes:Â 6-foot-10 and a quarter.
Wingspan: 7-foot-2 and a half.
Standing reach:Â 9-foot-1 and a half.
No step vertical leap:Â 28.5 inches.
Maximum vertical leap: 33 inches
Three-quarter court sprint:Â 3.35 seconds
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Clark’s first stop is the Suns summer league team, which began with two-a-day practices in preparation for a five-game NBAÂ summer league schedule that starts Monday.
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Anyone remember Clark getting 27 double-doubles during his career at U of L? Seems like a long time ago.
To the untrained, unprofessional eye, Clark always seemed to have trouble throwing/catching passes, dribbling and demonstrating intensity. He will need to develop these traits soon, very soon.