Jon Koncak
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1984 Los Angeles | United States | |
Jon Francis Koncak (born May 17, 1963 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is an American former professional basketball player. A 7'0" center from Southern Methodist University, Koncak was selected with the 5th pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Koncak spent ten seasons with the Hawks (1985-1995), mainly in a reserve role, then concluded his career with the Orlando Magic. He retired in 1996 with career totals of 3,520 points and 3,856 rebounds.
Though a reliable defender and fan-favorite for much of his career, Koncak is perhaps best remembered for the six-year, US$ 13 million contract he received from the Hawks in 1989--an unprecedented total for a reserve. The deal was roundly criticized since it paid Koncak more than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. His large contract prevented the Hawks from taking part in any other major free agent signings for several years. As a result, he earned the derisive nickname "Jon Contract", and many sports anchors continue to use Koncak's name in place of the word "contract" ("The Seattle Supersonics signed Jim McIlvaine to a $35 million, 5-year Koncak today...") when reporting what appears to be an excessively large signing. Sportscenter anchor Kenny Mayne was known to sometimes say "Jon Koncak" in place of "John Hancock", the Declaration of Independence signer whose name has become synonymous with "signature".[citation needed] Koncak is blamed for the rapid salary increases that occurred in the NBA following his signing [1], although evidence for that is obviously inconclusive.
Koncak is also an Eagle Scout.[2]
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