West defends taking massive pay cut to join title-contending Spurs

David West's decision for forgo roughly $11.2 million this offseason wasn't just about sacrifice.

"People are talking about what I gave up, but not as much about what I've gained here (in San Antonio)," West told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

One week ahead of free agency, West opted to decline a $12.6-million player option with the Indiana Pacers for the 2015-16 season. The assumption was West would look to recoup some of that figure on a multi-year deal, but he shocked the market by signing a one-year deal with the Spurs at the $1.4-million veteran minimum.

Free agents taking pay cuts for a late-career run at a championship are nothing new, but a 35-year-old walking away from eight figures to do so is seemingly unprecedented.

However, it doesn't sound like West struggled with his choice.

"It wasn't really a difficult decision," West said at media day on Monday. "I guess it's just nature, everybody is just focused on money right now, I guess it's just the society that we're living in, but truth be told it wasn't a big decision for me or my family.

"I've been preparing to put myself in this position to choose what I wanted to do in my career from day one."

Primary among the things West believes he's gained is a learning opportunity, and he's gotten an early start lobbing questions at Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.

"For me, being a basketball junkie, a guy who studies the game, there's no better environment in the world to learn basketball," West said.

As far as West chasing his first championship, the Spurs are installed as the second- or third-leading favorites to win the title at most sportsbooks.

West will see his role reduced from the 28.7 minutes he averaged with the Pacers last season, operating as the team's third big man behind Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge. The "17-Foot Assassin" remained effective in his 12th season, averaging 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.1 percent.