Looking at typical salaries... he earned about 90K a year for about 13 years. Chances are you will make more over the course of your career.
Anyway, this is on the league and the union to do the right thing.
From 1976 to 1989. That's a huge chunk o' change back then. That's the equivalent of the high-100s now. If it's so important, why didn't the players have language put into their contracts to cover them?