NBA Players Are Not Babies

Being an NBA player is expensive. Its really, really expensive. Playing is hard work too both physically and mentally. And to make matters worse an NBA player only has a limited amount of time when they can be effectively playing. For most players the best-case scenario is ten years. The physically gifted can play a few years longer and more than a fair share of others play a lot less. So it’s just not fair to call the players of the NBA overpaid babies.

Sure there’s a cross section of the league that isn’t living up the expectations implied in the contracts they’ve signed, guys like Alan Houston, Penny Hardaway and Tim Thomas, and that’s just on the Knicks! But its not like those guys don’t want to play. I bet there’s not a one of them in that group that would trade a lot of their max salaries for perfect physical health. Just look at how miserable Grant Hill looked sitting on the sidelines unable to make a difference when his team desperately needed him. Guys in the NBA want to play. If they didn’t want to play, they wouldn’t be there.

There are also a few guys who aren’t helping the cause of swaying the “babies” stigma. When Latrell Sprewell rejects a $21 million contract offer over 3 years, its not helping the cause. When he says he’s got a family to feed, its not helping the cause. But he does have a point. NBA players can loose up to half their salary through taxes and other representational causes. Suddenly we’re only talking about Spree getting $3.5 million a year. NBA players have mortgages and bills to pay too. Just because Spree’s pulling down $3.5 mil a year doesn’t mean he’s going to drop a years salary to move into that big house down the street. He doesn’t want to live by you. He wants to live where he won’t be bothered. He wants a big house and a fast car because he’s worked hard, sacrificing his body physically. Have you seen the NBA legends walking around during the playoffs ad campaign? It’s not a pretty sight. It’s a lot like watching big man Ervin Johnson walk around during games. So when Spree says he’s got a family to feed, he’s got a point. He has a certain quality of life to maintain and a limited time left where his earning power in the sport is effective.


There’s pressure too. Pressure to be the best, to have the best and to win the most. Pressure to live up to the millions of dollars somebody is paying you to entertain millions of fans. There’s pressure from your friends and family to support them financially. You also have to face the “hangers on.” The guys you knew back in the day that were really hoping you could make it big so they could grab a piece. There’s some pressure there too. And then the shoe companies and your other endorsements, they’ve got a real close eye on their investments. It’s just like being a Hollywood star. Lebron James is Tom Cruise. Shaq is Bobby Deniro. Mark Madsen is Jerry Stiller. Everybody out there wants something from you and you’ve got to live up to that pressure. And then you face the injuries and the pressure you’ve got to face when that happens

Have you ever had a knee surgery? Have you had three? A lot of guys in the NBA have and they’re still working hard each night to play and make the game enjoyable for you to watch. That’s really what its all about. Are you having fun watching it? Is the thrill of getting to see a guy like Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade throw down a dunk so hard you can feel it in your easy chair at home fun for you? Is watching Ray Allen or Michael Redd nail a jumper from the third row of the stands fun for you? Are you having a good time watching the game? Well, if you are, then they’re not over paid babies.

You work hard and have every right to demand a better salary and so do they. If you don’t like how your place of employment is going you can quit. They’ve got contracts to fulfill so they’ve one-upped you there. And sure a guy like Vince Carter can dog it in Toronto only to light it up in Jersey, but you know he didn’t want to. You know if it were up to him, he’d have had a team that could have played too and he could have led them to victories. Nobody likes to loose. Do you?

So the next time you say, “I could do that, these guys are babies,” just remember, you can’t do it and they’re not babies. They are people working hard for their money and they don’t want to be shortchanged. They’re just like you, but working in a totally different world. The world of professional basketball is not a pretty one, its one that can be cold and heartless. They’re just trying to keep the game pure and exciting. They're just trying to do their best at their job. Just like you.