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NBA & MONEY

Imagine this... You are Kobe Bryant and it’s the conference final. Lakers versus the club that who is offering you the multi million dollar contract of any athletes dream. Ten seconds left & you’re controlling the ball. The last play is in your hand whatever happens now will have you remembered as the choke or the champion that has his name engraved in history. Infamy? Or famous? Swsssh is all you hear. The crowd erupts in joy and start chanting Kobe, Kobe. Now comes a daunting decision. Stay with the champion side, or make the jump to the other side for the multi million dollar contract. Kobe would ask himself “Am I chasing perfection or have I found it?” These are the decisions of a star NBA baller, every draft season, in a game which is run by money.

Basketball is one of the biggest sports in the world which is clearly dominated by African American giants such as Lebron James & Kobe Bryant. But how do they earn there money? Sponsorships & contracts are how. But how much is too much? Kobe himself has a six year contract with aides worth $48 million dollars, games for computer consoles and his own line of basketball shoes. Lebron James has his own share in the Major Football side Liverpool F.C and other contracts. Nike in particular. He has acted in a 2007 series of commercials called the Lebron's with earned 27 million. When a big brand see chances to make radicalizes amounts of money they will exploit it. Using athletes for example, they are who the younger generation look up to as heroes and idols. Let’s say Kobe appeared on a McDonald’s ad and is eating a burger this will make the younger generation want it “If Kobe’s doing it I want to do it.” This is how marketing effects sport; the athletes are big money makers

L.A Lakers payroll is $91,645,878 million a season compared to the Australian Rugby league salary cap $4,678,500. This means L.A have the money to tempt top athletes that are just leaving collage. Before leaving collage they must have a compulsory 4 year stint with there respected collage teams. The draft starts in late June after the NBA playoff seasons; the draft consists of two rounds with a total of sixty players trying to earn a contract to one of the 30 prestige teams. But the amount of money that is used to tempt these players is ridiculous. In 2010 David west was the first choice selection with a contract to the Cleveland cavaliers for over $5 million. This puts to much pressure to succeed in the big time for these young athletes who want to prove that they are the next ‘big thing’ in the NBA “there is a lot of pressure put on me but I don’t put a lot on myself. I feel if I play my game it will take care of itself “

So what controls modern day Basketball? In 2000 the NBA draft was the highest grossing draft recorded. Future all-stars of NBA like Kobe Bryant & Lebron James.With the limelight of the NBA shining throughout the world, sooner or later international players were going to come and dominate the competition. Players like Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Gasoul. But what pulled these foreign beast’s to America? Money? Fame? Or just chasing the dream? These are the questions that need to be asked from my point of view. If they come to America to play ball they should be loyal to there club and not sign deals for future events or teams. We love to know how much the athletes make from contracts to endorsements with brands like Nike ECT. With the likes of Kobe Bryant who has $24 million contract with the Lakers. These are the amounts of money that shouldn’t be wasted on single athletes that sometimes can perform good and sometimes terrible. But there are many other things that this money can be used for people suffering from poverty “Everything negative – pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise” – Kobe Bryant.

So as you can see, money controls this game of basketball. The more money you have as an investor, the more likely you will get the signatures of the best players in a game that is founded on dreams and built by money. “Basketball is a blackman’s sport, watched by rich white men”