The NBA has announced its new $24 billion TV deal with ESPN and Turner, and the players have begun weighing in on what it will mean going forward. LeBron James wasn't afraid to speak his mind on the new deal, stating owners claiming money losses "will not fly with us this time," reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY.
LeBron James says owners claiming money losses ‘will not fly with us this time’
LeBron James has weighed in on the new NBA TV deal and says the owners won’t be able to say they’re losing money when it’s time to renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
James' statement is huge for the National Basketball Player's Association, as he's one of the biggest superstars in the league. He's also been expecting a bump in salary figures, signing a short-term contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer so he can renegotiate his salary once the new TV deal kicks in.
New NBPA executive director Michele Roberts released a brief statement, calling the TV deal “good news” for stakeholders in the NBA. She also stated that the NBPA’s job will be making sure players receive their “fair share,” as reported by CBS Sports’ Ken Berger:
In statement, NBPA exec. director Michele Roberts calls TV deals "good news for all of the stakeholders in the business of the NBA."
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) October 6, 2014 Roberts: "Our job will be to ensure that the players receive their fair share ... and maintain the growth and popularity of the game."
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) October 6, 2014 NBPA president Chris Paul refrained from making any bold statements with the announcement of the massive deal, but he was excited about what it meant for players and the NBA on a global scale:
"It really shows our game is a global game. It’s big for us players. It’s big for the fans. It’s big for the entire NBA." -CP3 on TV deal
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 6, 2014 The players can renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement with ownership after the '16-17 season. Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams thinks the two sides will be headed into another summer bogged down by a lockout while new terms are discussed, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:
“I think it’s going in pretty much the same direction as it was last time (lockout of 2011),” said Williams, who is Brooklyn’s union rep. “So I feel like we made a lot of concessions last time, and it’s going to be hard for us to do that again. With the new leadership we have and (former NBAPA president Billy Hunter) finally being out of the picture, which is a great thing, hopefully things will go better for us.”
It’s still early in the process, but the NBA is expected to approach the drastic increase by trying to “smooth” things out gradually, rather than see a big bump in salary once the new TV deal is active. The NBA’s salary cap, currently at $63 million, could rise to over $88 million, according to early projections.
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