Rookie hazing is a rite of passage every NBA newcomer must endure, regardless of draft position. LaMarcus Aldridge was no different.
A nimble and sweet-shooting 6'11" big man who starred for the Texas Longhorns for two seasons before declaring for the 2006 NBA Draft, Aldridge was picked second overall behind Andrea Bargnani . Despite representing the future of the franchise, he was game to do what the Blazers' veterans asked of him, including becoming an errand boy at the nightclub.
Aldridge recalled a time when he was hanging out with the likes of Darius Miles and Zach Randolph at a club in Portland, when the former asked him to buy them a drink.
Some NBA veterans can get downright nasty with the chores they ask the rookies to do, including going out in the middle of the night to purchase liquor or cover a staggering bill at the club. Even though these vets are aware of how much or how little some rookies earn, they still don't hesitate to make them go deep into their pockets to make something happen.
But on this occasion, Aldridge recalled it was the exact opposite; Miles gave him $2,000 to buy just one drink. He gave no other instructions.
"We went out one time in Portland, like a little rinky-dink club or whatever, and we kicking it. And I think Z-Bo showed up late, but we in there and, like, you could get drinks and stuff or whatever and kick it or whatever," Aldridge stated .
"And then D, at this time I'm a rookie, he threw me like two racks and was like, 'Go buy some drinks.' I was like, 'Cool.' So I was like, 'Like, what do you want?' He was like, 'Well, just give me this.' Like, he ordered one drink," he added.
Aldridge went to the bar and got what Miles asked for. After returning to give the forward his drink, he asked to be excused and went straight home.
"I went and got one drink, put the rest of that money in my pocket, and went home," Aldridge recalled with a smile on his face. "I spent $20, $25 on that drink, and the other $1,900 in my pocket, and I went home."
As the second pick, Aldridge received a four-year, $18,832,907 deal, which meant that the extra money that he got from Miles was mere chump change. But at the same time, the big man was fiscally responsible enough to know that NBA money wasn't going to pour into his bank account forever, which meant that every dime and penny he could would go a long way to securing his post-basketball future.
Aldridge eventually played 16 seasons in the NBA and earned a whopping $213,385,919 in salaries. But despite pocketing that much bread, he still looks back fondly on that time when he flipped the script and received over two grand for completing a menial task.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
