I disagree Don't forget the Golden Rule: Those with the gold make the rules The players still get a paycheck Thus, they are not calling the shots The owners have allowed this imbalance to occur because they have not collectively reached their breaking point and decided to unite in opposition If it came down to a battle of wills, the 30 billionaires that employ the players have MUCH deeper pockets, diverse revenue streams, etc (well, maybe not Tillman) The wealthy owners can always afford to play the long game and wait out the hundreds of players they have made rich, most of whom live well above their means already Employees' only real power is thru their ability to strike For most players, NBA basketball is the only way they will ever earn millions Sure ... LeBron, Harden and dozens of others won't go bankrupt But the vast majority will quickly become desperate and their solidarity will quickly fade Ironically, this and last season would have been the ideal time to shut down the league and get their labor force under control if the owners decided they have had enough of their employees dictating trades to them COVID has already drastically reduced revenues, and some owners would probably welcome the chance to slash operating costs under these conditions I suspect some franchises are already losing money, so they would happily lose less in the short term until 'normal' life can resume The NHL already underwent this process decades ago during their own prolonged strike, and the league did not kill itself As the hockey owners did then, all it takes is for the owners to decide they want this to change
If harden can't win a chip in Jersey, he'll prove all the doubters here. That's how things are going...
The NFL owners do this better than any other league Deshaun Watson is attempting to make the same power move that has become normal in the NBA I suspect that if he is successful and inspires more NFL players to attempt this tactic, the NFL will move swiftly to shut this down and regain control Just ask Colin Kaepernick what happens when you try that
Yea he signed a ****ing contract. A contract giving him guaranteed money more than anyone (or close to it) I. The league. it’s fine though his regular dick suckers will show up and defend him in opposition to what was in the best interest/advocating for the rockets. Harden only fans on this site are potentially worse than LOF
Yes ... and no Other than families that were original 'franchisees' who bought in cheap when the NBA was formed, all owners were already billionaires before they entered the NBA I would guess very few (if any) players were millionaires before they became NBA players The players need the jobs (and unique earning opportunity) provided by the owners WAY more than the owners need any individual players Those jobs (now 15 per team) are constantly cycled as older players decline and are replaced by new, young players NBA ownership rarely changes, and some franchises like the Lakers become legacies that stay in the same family for multiple generations West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, AD ... All have become rich from the wealth of the Buss family No matter whom is aboard, the gravy train for owners keeps on rolling
I totally agree with you about Tilman. But that does not absolve Harden's behavior. It's convenient to blame the owner for everything. Your thinking is very typical of the polarized culture on the internet these days. The logic goes like this: A is a bad guy. B hates A. B must be a good guy, and everything he says or does against A must be right and we should endorse it. Or the flip side: A is a good guy. B hates A. B must be a bad guy, and everything he says or does against B must be wrong and we should fight it. Truth is much more complicated than that.
I'm as happy as you are that they traded him when they did and got something and got a good haul for him. Doesn't change the fact that he behaved like an infant.
Lol the NBA should never want to be like the NFL. Player movement is good for the league. Asking out while under contract sucks but you can tweak things for things like that not change the whole system.
You are right. I was simplifying it too much. It is not an even two-way. In general it is true in almost all industries. The employees need the industry for making a living more than the industry needs them. But any industry can thrive only if it has talented people doing the work. In the NBA, the situation is somewhat artificial. If the owner's only goal is to make money, they don't even need great players. Bad franchises like the Dolan Knicks, the Sterling Clippers, the Cohen Warriors, etc. still could make money because of the whole income structure of the association. On the other hand, many franchise owners are not in just for the money. They want to win. So they want great players on their team.
Also use that matter in between your ears for a second. Your desire for freedom of players to break contracts at any time to play where they want is just going to benefit the major markets and create large parity with just 2 to 3 super teams and no other team having any shot.
It’s better for the league. Players movement does help the league wether you believe it or not. Please stop with this “player only” nonsense. Ad hominem attacks shouldn’t start this early with you. You aren’t even here as much now that Harden is gone LOL.
Doesn't seem like an apology at all. More like an excuse that it had to be done to get his way. Cry baby. Hope he fails miserably with the new most hated team.
NFL is different and they proved it during the scab season. NFL fans don't care that much about the players as the teams. The fact that the Texans and Browns have fans at all prove that. NBA is different since it's built on star power. Arenas sell more tickets when Lebron and Durant come to town. The top players do have the control since they are the ones that bring championships. You thought the Toyota center was dead. Wait until next year when it will half empty even with Covid. Nobody pays a hundred bucks a ticket to watch John Wall.
Agreed I have always thought the real reason there has been no push-back from owners league-wide against this new 'Super-team' era (other than Dan Gilbert's outburst) is because the numbers show that dynasties are good for business in the NBA NBA fans pay more attention when there is a dominant team to root for or against In the end, owners are not competitors in a system built on revenue sharing They are all partners with their own regional divisions (teams) Silver probably welcomes the change and movement when it takes premier talent from a small market to a bigger one LeBron makes the league more money in MIA or LA than CLE Same for Harden & Durant in NYC vs HOU or OKC Kawhi is more valuable in LA than SA He is probably hoping that Giannis leaves MIL for bigger stage elsewhere Unfortunately the fans in places like Indy or Sacramento get screwed the most by this system They become a feeder system for developing young talent with no real shot at winning Just as the talent you have enjoyed watching grow blossoms into a legit superstar, they start looking for a better situation with a real shot at a ring It has essentially turned the NBA into Euro club soccer If you are a die-hard for a club like Aston Villa or Napoli, you know you have zero chance to ever watch your team compete for league or Champions titles It is a bittersweet existence for fans of those teams I have no doubt the corporate dollars courtside or in suites gained by the superteams outweigh those lost in the nosebleeds when blue-collar diehards don't renew their season tickets because James Harden is now a Net It may make business sense, but it really sucks for the lifelong fans for any of the 25 other teams that aren't lucky enough to root for the select few super squads
Uhh ... what?? I guarantee you Tillman would swap HOU franchises with Cal in a heartbeat if offered the chance The NFL business model is the envy of every other pro sports league in the country They print money every year regardless of on-field success or local interest
