A little over two years ago, the New York Knicks' starting point guard and captain, Jalen Brunson, took a significant cut to his annual salary, leaving somewhere around $113 million in the team's cap space to sign the talent necessary for the Knicks to win the NBA Finals.
Now, those rings are about to be placed on their fingers and the banner is about to be hung in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.
But wait a minute, this is a site dedicated to the Texas Longhorns. Why exactly are you reading about how a player taking a pay cut led to a title?
Well, that's because the Horns' leader, Arch Manning, just did the exact same thing in an effort to bring the National Championship trophy to the 40 Acres.
Now, don't worry, the 22-year-old is still making a couple million bucks this year, but he accepted a significant decrease in his revenue-share from the Longhorns in order for the team to add the talent he needs around him in order to reach genuine success.
Arch Manning's rev-share cut allowed for additions of Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, more
In the offseason, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian did just that: added the talent needed for the Longhorns to win the National Championship.
However, even with a brand name like the University of Texas and all that it comes with, those additions didn't come for free.
Read more: Texas's move to the SEC cemented the Longhorns value above the rest of the nation
Transfer portal stars like running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, linebacker Rasheem Biles, and wide receiver Cam Coleman all came with a pretty steep price tag (especially Coleman, who reportedly received a $4 million offer from another team when he was in the portal).
Of course, Texas is lucky and has the alumni support and donor backing to afford this kind of roster. One that boasts multi-million-dollar receivers and quarterbacks, as well as highly valued defensive linemen and specialty players.
In a recent report, CBS Sports highlighted the fact that even after cutting back on Manning's rev-share, the Horns still have one of the most expensive rosters in the nation. Texas joined the likes of the LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Miami Hurricanes, and others in the "more than $40 million" price range.
While money isn't everything (although it kind of is in college football these days), the willingness of Manning to receive less cash so that his team could pick up the necessary talent to take the next step shows the kind of leader he is.
Also read: Arch Manning's leadership and skills are peaking right when Texas needs them to
And that kind of leader, with Jalen Brunson as another example, is exactly the kind that the Texas Longhorns want running the show.
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