The new NBA TV deal is worth a whopping $24 billion over the next nine years, which will make owners very rich. As Wizards head man Ted Leonsis said in the press conference announcing the deal, it’s a great time to be an owner.
Kobe Bryant lashes out at the new NBA TV deal
The Lakers’ star doesn’t want to hear about players having to sacrifice while owners make bank on the league’s $24 billion television contract.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
And that doesn’t make Kobe Bryant very happy.
Players are "encouraged" per new CBA to take less to win or risk being called selfish+ungrateful while nbatv deal goes UP by a BILLION #biz
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) October 7, 2014 This isn’t the first time Kobe has spoken out on the subject. He shared similar thoughts to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski after coming under fire for signing a huge two-year, $48.5 million extension instead of taking less money to allow the Lakers to acquire more talent under the salary cap.
They get stuck in a predicament - probably intentionally done by the teams - to force them to take less money. Meanwhile, the value of the organization goes through the roof off the backs of their quote, unquote selfless players.
“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
He’s also not the only star to openly wonder about having his salary capped when the men (and they are all men right now) paying it make bank on the new TV deal.
Kevin Durant on the idea of doing away with max deals: "A lot of these guys are worth more than they're making."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 7, 2014 And as LeBron James succinctly noted on Monday, the players aren’t going to buy the owners crying poverty when the CBA is up in 2017. Clip and save all this if another lockout occurs.
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