In my book The Book of Basketball the author, Bill Simmons, explains how money has effected the game of basketball.  He explains what the effects of some of the biggest trades (or not trades) and signings of players would have been like if they went through (or not).  He describes what championships might have been like if just one player accepted a little less money in order to be on a great team or vice versa. 

          Simmons also describes how the players were effected by money.  How they might have been thought of differently if something had or hadn't happened.  Like if the ABA commisioner had shown Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alcindor at the time) a check for $1 million that he had in his pocket.  That would have made a huge difference in the way we think Kareem, but no one ever mentions it.  That is what this author is really good at, he finds little hidden things that would have made a huge difference.