For so long, it hovered above Joe Johnson.
The past six seasons seemed to be more about dollar signs than his actual play on the court. A huge contract was often the topic of conversation instead of his smooth jumpshot.
But no more.
Johnson in his first season with the Miami Heat, no longer has to deal with it. He's in a relaxed place, far from when he had to endure the stresses of being a max player. And he is loving every bit of it.
"It never bothered me either way, but this is a more relaxed situation," Johnson said. "We've got so many guys who can hurt you. It doesn't have to be one guy every night that has to come out and score 25-30 points for us to win."
Johnson (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) is averaging 16.1 points on 57 percent shooting in the past 10 games. After being acquired off waivers in late February, he's proven to be a key cog in the Heat's second-half turnaround. They are 9-3 since he joined the team after being released by the Brooklyn Nets.
All the talk about Johnson now surrounds how he can help the Heat contend in the NBA's Eastern Conference. It wasn't always that way. In 2010, the summer when Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James were all free agents, it was Johnson who grabbed the biggest payday.
The Atlanta Hawks re-signed him to a six-year, $119 million contract. It didn't matter Johnson was among the league's elite players. It didn't matter he had averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons.
When his name was mentioned, the conversation usually turned to the contract and was he worth it.
"I felt like I deserved every bit of it," Johnson said. "I came out and showed it, improved and I worked my ass off every day. It never bothered me."
Johnson, 34, never reached his pre-contract level of play. After his scoring dipped the next two seasons, he was traded to Brooklyn. And here he is now in the late stage of his career, trying to win a championship with the Heat. The situation is similar to when forward Rashard Lewis was signed in 2012. Both players had to deal with the outside chatter of their big contracts.
Lewis signed a six-year, $118 million deal with the Orlando Magic, and viewed Miami as a relaxing change of pace.
"I think it will be a little bit easier," Lewis told the Sun Sentinel in 2012. "That big contract is not hovering over you."
Johnson scored 18 points in the Heat's victory Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, serving as the perfect complement to Wade. Johnson's 28-point game in Toronto is proof he can still revert to All-Star form, but he knows his role is playing off Wade, Goran Dragic and center Hassan Whiteside.
"The one thing good about it is certain nights he can be the primary scorer," Wade said. "He knows that he can be aggressive but he knows also he just can be himself and make plays and get into the game at his own pace. I think that's why he chose to come here."
Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra added: "I think Joe is able to play that fine balance and it's' because he's a winner. He wants to be a part of a winning situation. If you need him to be a focal point of the offense, he's done that for over a decade. If you want him to play off Goran or Dwyane, he can do that as well."
Johnson is perfectly fine in the background, away from the pressures of his former situations. His play -- not is pay -- is the focus.
"I've heard so many great things about this franchise and now to be a part of it, especially for myself, it a great to be," he said. "These are great guys. They've made my transition a lot easier. Kudos to those guys."
Sports on 03/22/2016