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> But LeBron James just inked a deal that could see him earn that much for bouncing a ball. And he absolutely deserves it, 100%. He's created and will continue

> But LeBron James just inked a deal that could see him earn that much for bouncing a ball. And he absolutely deserves it, 100%. He's created and will continue to create that much value past his basketball career and it's only right that he sees a return from all the value he will create. I only hope you're half-joking about that statement because otherwise it's incredibly misguided.

sandworm101 11y ago
The value he creates isn't so simple. He didn't invent basketball as an artist of tech guru might invent a new form of entertainment. He exists within a longstanding system involving thousands of other people. He gets his millions because that is the fair market value of his services. I would never criticize him for making that much. But I would certainly criticize a system whereby non-fans of basketball, specifically cable subscribers, are leveraged into supporting sports they never watch. See: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/06/the-sports-bubble-is-about-to-pop.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/06/the-sports-... Also, taxpayer support of teams through stadium deals, which makes more money available for player salaries. Not James' fault, but his salary is an outcome of factors well outside of on-court talent.
- adventured 11y ago
  Kate Spade didn't invent purses. Amancio Ortega didn't invent womens clothing. Jeff Gordon didn't invent race cars. Bill Gates didn't invent the software industry. It's not relevant at all that Lebron James didn't invent basketball. Lebron's salary is the least interesting aspect of his financial potential. He would be making incredible amounts of money outside of the NBA even if you paid him a $1 salary. That salary will ultimately be a small portion of his lifetime wealth. How can I be confident of that? Because Jordan and numerous other athletes have already demonstrated how that works. Jordan earned a modest NBA salary for most of his career (until the last few years) by today's standards. In no way did that stop him from becoming a billionaire via his off-court dealings. If you hammered the NBA's revenue figures - basically rolled them backwards 20 years - by clipping ESPN's wings through altering the subscriber landscape (which seems inevitable at this point), it wouldn't matter at all to James likely becoming a billionaire. NBA fans would tune in, that would make James famous, and his off-court endorsements (eg the big Nike deal) in this massive global economy would make him a billionaire over time. Those TV subscribers that are paying but not watching, would still be not watching, it wouldn't matter other than for the league salaries.

sandworm101 11y ago

The value he creates isn't so simple. He didn't invent basketball as an artist of tech guru might invent a new form of entertainment. He exists within a longstanding system involving thousands of other people. He gets his millions because that is the fair market value of his services. I would never criticize him for making that much. But I would certainly criticize a system whereby non-fans of basketball, specifically cable subscribers, are leveraged into supporting sports they never watch. See: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/06/the-sports-bubble-is-about-to-pop.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/06/the-sports-... Also, taxpayer support of teams through stadium deals, which makes more money available for player salaries. Not James' fault, but his salary is an outcome of factors well outside of on-court talent.

adventured 11y ago
Kate Spade didn't invent purses. Amancio Ortega didn't invent womens clothing. Jeff Gordon didn't invent race cars. Bill Gates didn't invent the software industry. It's not relevant at all that Lebron James didn't invent basketball. Lebron's salary is the least interesting aspect of his financial potential. He would be making incredible amounts of money outside of the NBA even if you paid him a $1 salary. That salary will ultimately be a small portion of his lifetime wealth. How can I be confident of that? Because Jordan and numerous other athletes have already demonstrated how that works. Jordan earned a modest NBA salary for most of his career (until the last few years) by today's standards. In no way did that stop him from becoming a billionaire via his off-court dealings. If you hammered the NBA's revenue figures - basically rolled them backwards 20 years - by clipping ESPN's wings through altering the subscriber landscape (which seems inevitable at this point), it wouldn't matter at all to James likely becoming a billionaire. NBA fans would tune in, that would make James famous, and his off-court endorsements (eg the big Nike deal) in this massive global economy would make him a billionaire over time. Those TV subscribers that are paying but not watching, would still be not watching, it wouldn't matter other than for the league salaries.