I didn't contradict ****.
"To a degree" means a discount but not some preposterous discount like taking 1 million instead of 20. It might mean 17 mil instead of 20. or 20 instead of 25...etc
That's not too complex to comprehend, I would think.
Among the highest. means, they were not the highest.
He did not squeeze for every dollar or even every million dollars.
When he came due for a new deal, he did not press, like so many others do, to try to become the market leader.
he ALWAYS gave some form of discount.
And as far as having a good coach or team around him...great! But that is not what we are discussing.