The NBA Needs a Makeover

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to sports, I try and watch every single one out there. I do that because well...competition is an amazing thing, and because it's amazing to learn more about the various leagues and types of games out there. Sometimes a game hooks me for life, like football and the NFL. Sometimes a sport loses me, like the NHL did when it came the last lockout/strike.  

Sometimes I give a sport a second try, like I recently did with the NBA because hey...the story of LeBron's return to Cleveland and leading them to the Finals was nothing short of spectacular. I watched the Finals, I felt for the fans of Cleveland and as competitive and entertaining a series as it was, I actually enjoyed basketball again. I thought maybe now I could watch this sport on a regular basis again after all these years, but many of the reasons I stopped watching are rearing their head once again and well...I think it's high time we talk about the fact that the NBA is in serious need of a major makeover. 

I say that...because there are quite a few things wrong with this sport and much of the blame lies with the players, starting with the compensation system. I'm not saying they shouldn't be compensated well for their talent, because they should. But I have major concerns with how much some of these guys make. I saw yesterday that Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls is about to be offered a maximum five year deal worth $90 million. Yes, let that number sink into your head because word is through the NBA pundits that Jimmy is planning on turning that offer down...to make more money.  Yeah, that's right. $90 million dollars is not enough, and we've already seen several players opt out of their contracts to go out and make more with another team and well...this is just silly. I mean seriously, how the hell is that not enough money? That's being set for life and this is a reminder that the players of this game are selfish. It's not about the game, or the fans...just a pay day and it shows in how the league is structured.

After all, we cannot forget that the NBA has a salary cap, but it is what you call a soft salary cap. Meaning yes, there is a spending limit, but you can exceed that limit and face a tax from the league, which many a team would have to do because there are quite a few players making over $15 million dollars in this league on an annual basis.  This is a serious problem, because it has turned the players into mercenaries, plain and simple. This is also reflected in the weird fact that players can simply opt out of their contract and simply walk away as they please. I think this is actually a tad more shocking since uh...whatever happened to honoring a contract or restructuring rather than just blowing up the deal and starting over?

In the end, this really just hurts the fans through and through as they watch player after player sign bloated contracts and we all know as fans how much it sucks to see someone get a big deal and then half ass it every night and we've seen a lot of that in the NBA. Giving the players this kind of power with their deals and giving them that kind of ridiculous money that "isn't enough" is a big problem for this league. I would say it is high time to bring forth a new CBA for the league and the players, one that puts a few more checks and balances in place by not allowing players to basically do whatever the hell they want, instills some sense of respect for the game in all of them...and let's the fans not feel like they are being taken for a ride.  I know this may be a pipe dream on my part, but hey I have no problem walking away again to watch something else and eventually...the hardcore NBA fans may do the same if the league doesn't do something to make the sport a sport again, and not a one man spotlight.

---