When Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning signed an NFL rookie record contract 19 years ago, somebody asked him what he planned to do with all that money.
He answered that he planned to earn it.
Timberwolves young star Andrew Wiggins didn't offer such a succinct statement when his team gathered Friday for another season, but he vowed that maximum five-year, $148 million contract he soon will sign won't change him one bit.
"Not at all, I'm pretty much the same guy, same mood," he said. "That's what hard work does. I've been grinding my whole life for this contract. It's nothing but up from here. Never get complacent, keep getting better."
On the former No. 1 overall draft pick's way here, Wiggins fired his agent last month, rearranged the team that advises and represents him and met more than once face-to-face with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, who said he wanted such a meeting before he made that sizable offer.
Asked Friday about his reaction to Taylor's request, Wiggins said, "It was no big reaction. It was simple: OK, he's offering all that money, he can do whatever he wants."
He called himself in "no rush" to sign a contract that he wants to be sure he fully understands before he does so. He could sign it soon, but he must sign it by a mid-October deadline or he and the Wolves must then wait until July.
He will.
"No doubt," Wiggins said. "Minnesota has been good to me. They've been loyal, trustworthy. They're committed. They want me here, so I want to do the same."
When he does sign, it will change his life, even if he is correct that it won't change him.
"It's an unbelievable feeling, it gives you financial freedom," veteran teammate Jamal Crawford said about an athlete signing his first mammoth contract. "Then you start thinking about generations. It's not about you anymore. You're able to set up your grandkids, your mom, your dad, other family members you care about. It just gives you a freedom, a peace so you can concentrate on the task at hand and be the ultimate professional."
