[tomegun]

NBA rookies do NOT make $80,000. About four years ago a NBA official told us rookies make $105,000 and they are paid $295 per day (not per game) when they are on the road. Additionally, they could make some money from plane tickets. Since that was four years ago, it could be higher now. Oh, I've also heard that NBA officials who don't make the playoffs still get $15,000 from the officials who work the playoffs. They apparently put in on it.

I'm not totally disagreeing with what Rut said; he probably could still make more money in the college game than he would - initially - in the pro game. But, he wasn't going to go broke from his NBA salary.

Also, I asked about Tony Greene's job situation last year when everyone was talking about him being the next to get hired. I was told, by someone who knows him, that he is at a point in his regular job where he can retire. His job was NOT the reason he turned them down.

Ladies and gentlemen, not having aspirations for the next level - and comparing those aspirations to a high school ref - cannot be the answer for every situation similar to this. I think it should be obvious that after officiating the summer league in Las Vegas and doing some pre-season NBA games, Tony Greene's aspirations were to go to the next level. The "aspirations" tag is used too much; this official was on his way and his decision had nothing to do with his job or his aspirations.