Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant isn’t the biggest fan of how the NBA business works.
The 36-year-old veteran went on a brief Twitter rant about the NBA’s new television contract after the deal became official on Oct. 6.
[tweet https://twitter.com/kobebryant/status/519543277771427840 align=center]
But Kobe wasn’t done there. When asked to expand on the matter after Tuesday’s practice, Bryant had plenty more to say on the subject.
“It’s very easy to look at the elite players around the league and talk about the amount of money that they get paid and compare that with the average (player),” Bryant said, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. “But we don’t look at what the owners get paid and how much revenue they generate off the backs of these players.”
With the new collective bargaining expected to take place in the summer of 2017, Bryant made it clear that the owners, like players, deserve their fair share of criticism.
“I think as players, you’ve kind of got to hold your ground a little bit and not be afraid of what the public perception is,” Bryant said. “Instead, you try to educate the public a little bit and understand it’s not about complaining about how much you’re making, because that’s ridiculous. We are overpaid, but so are the owners. And you have to fight for what your market value is.”
Apparently, Bryant’s market value is still pretty high. The 16-time All-Star signed a two-year extension worth $48.5 million with the Lakers in 2013.
Thumbnail photo via Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports Images
