“Fans Begrudge Beyonce Or Taylor Swift”: Charles Barkley And Adam Silver Justify Today’s NBA Players Making ‘$80 Million’

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was recently joined by Gayle King and Charles Barkley for an interview with CNN. During the 16-minute conversation between the above-mentioned panel, several topics were discussed. Among the many, the players’ salary growth was one of the points examined in detail. When Barkley spoke about players potentially earning $80 million in a single year, Silver compared the athletes to the likes of Beyonce and Taylor Swift.

Charles Barkley kickstarted the conversation by recollecting how the public reacted in surprise after the first million-dollar contract was given out in the NBA. Mentioning that the average salary in the league has now risen to $10 million, Chuck was confident enough that there would come a time in the near future when players would pocket $80-90 million in a single year. Hence, Barkley felt the need to ask Adam Silver if there would be any type of “ceiling” or “breaking point” to the constantly growing value of the contracts.

“I remember vividly when the first time an NBA player made a million dollars… we couldn’t believe that an NBA player made a million dollars. Now the average salary is right around $10 million. Is there a ceiling or breaking point? We’re gonna have guys making $80-90 million a year, coming up soon,” Charles Barkley said.

The commissioner answered Charles Barkley by shedding light on the revenue-sharing system that functioned between the league, the teams, and the players. He also broke down the same by explaining how the players would benefit if the team was benefitting and how the teams would benefit from the league being successful.

“It’s a revenue-sharing system between the teams and the players. So, if we generate more revenue, players make more money,” Silver said.

Adam Silver also referred to the players as “entertainers” and revealed that the public wasn’t livid at artists such as Beyonce and Taylor Swift earning as much.

“So, they are entertainers. I don’t think any more than fans begrudge Beyonce or Taylor Swift,” Silver said, talking about the players.

Silver concluded by reiterating that the players should be rewarded handsomely for helping the league contribute to the interest it garners from fans around the world.

“To me, if you are generating the interest from the fans, you deserve to make what the market will bear… I think basketball is the fastest growing sport in the world and we’re unique in terms of the global appeal. There’s no reason players’ salaries shouldn’t continue to grow and I think that’s healthy,” Silver concluded.

Yes, players salaries are exorbitant. However, the players are the biggest contributors to the league’s success, sometimes even having a bigger fan following than the franchises themselves. Hence, as long as the league is profiting from their impact, there is no reason why the players shouldn’t be compensated substantially.

Shaquille O’Neal, the TNT co-host of Charles Barkley, spoke about the increasing salaries

While Charles Barkley genuinely seemed to be inquisitive about the true potential growth in the NBA salaries, Shaquille O’Neal comes off as jealous when talking about the same. Barkley’s TNT co-host has often expressed his dissatisfaction with the money that players make today.

Despite earning a staggering $286 million during his career, per Spotrac, O’Neal admits being jealous of players earning significantly larger amounts. Rudy Gobert is one player in particular whose contract is often brought up by Shaq on numerous occasions.

Back in 2022, during an episode of The Big Podcast, the NBA Hall-Of-Famer disclosed being annoyed at Gobert’s $200+ million contract.

“You think I’m happy Rudy Gobert’s making 250 [million]? … God damn right we get mad, we get petty…I think it’s a little bit of truth in our criticism,” Shaq said.

Merely a few months later, on the same podcast, O’Neal reiterated himself. While talking about Gobert making “$250 million” and Dame being paid $122 million for two years, the Big Aristotle jokingly stated that he would easily be able to earn a five-year, $400 million during his prime.

“I’m super jealous. Listen, I don’t usually wish stuff like this but I wish I was playing right now because, look, think about it, with Dame getting 122 and Rudy making 250, the diesel going to be right there. If this is legal, I’m go 400 for 5,” Shaq said, per Sportskeeda.

Instead of being jealous, Shaq, who has a massive $500 million net worth as per Celebrity Net Worth, should be happy at the league’s progress. He can also be proud of the fact that he played a huge role in popularising the league in the late 1990s & 2000s and enabling players today to earn the money that they are able to.