It’s no secret that one of the main factors behind the San Antonio Spurs’ dismantling of the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals was Boris Diaw. However, it has been a secret until now as to how the Spurs were able to get such incredible production from Diaw and bring resurgence to the forward’s career.

Over the last few seasons, Diaw’s weight has been a big question mark and it was a bit of a surprise when San Antonio signed him in 2012 after the Charlotte Bobcats waived him. He struggled at first with the Spurs and some extra poundage could have been the culprit, but Diaw re-emerged as a crucial role player for the franchise. The key: a weight incentivized contract.

Amin Elhassan of ESPN and James Herbert of CBS Sports reported that Diaw’s contract extension with the Spurs includes $500,000 in weight-goal incentives. Throughout the season, Diaw will face three weigh- ins and must weight 254 pounds or less. Should he meet his goals, he can cash in on a cool half-million.

Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reported that these provisions already existed prior to Diaw’s contract extension. That could explain how the forward averaged 6.2 PTS, 8.6 REB and 5.8 AST against the Heat.

It’s obvious that the incentives have paid off for both parties involved and it should come as no surprise when Greg Popovich takes a dig every now and then at Diaw’s weight. The head coach isn’t mocking his player, but simply encouraging him to keep up the good work. As Diaw posted on Twitter, there is no reason for Pop to worry.

No worries pop only one glass of wine and daily workouts! http://t.co/GQOknCTwHh

— Boris Diaw (@theborisdiaw) September 28, 2014

I guess $500,000 in bonuses is enough to watch your weight and cut back on the cookies. If only Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers could have figured this out, they might have won more than three championships. Maybe even Charles Barkley would have a ring had he cut out the sweets for some extra dough.

Shane Phillips is an NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Shane on Twitter @ShaneRantSports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also email Shane at [email protected].