When people try to compare the difference between player mentality of current players and players from back in the 80s, they often overlook one of the simplest explanations. They go into alpha versus beta mentality, AAU buddy-buddy rationale, the evolution of free agency, the impact of social media. You guys are forgetting the biggest, most important factor. The almighty dollar. It’s money. It’s always money.
Back in the 80s, the best players were lucky to make $2 million a year. Sure, a lot of money back then. But still only reserved for the precious and elite few. Most NBA players were making less than a million per annually. Living comfortably, but far from beachside mansions and luxury yachts. Then Michael Jordan happened. Then his shoe happened. Then the Dream team happened. Then the economic globalization of the NBA happened. Michael’s last contract with the Bulls that was paying him $30 million annually was not just unprecedented in sports, but the very turning point and tipping of the tide in player empowerment. Now, these days, you’re talking about scrubs in the league making tens of millions of dollars for doing jack . Darko Milicic one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history and Patty Mills who Spurs fans love to hate both have career earnings topping $50 million. They’re not even stars in the league. A ing journeyman scrub like Allen Crabbe leaves the game with over $75 million in his pockets. You get drafted and make just one more contract after your rookie deal, get one team to like you just enough, you don’t even have to be a great player and you’re not just rich, but you give your family generational wealth.
Back in the 80s, if you wanted wealth, you had to be an alpha. You had to be the big dog. Now, you can be a little shrimp in the big pond and still eat like a whale. It wasn’t about 80s players having more of a cutthroat compe ive fire than today’s kids. It’s not just that. If you wanted the good life, that’s the way you do it. Be a top 10 player. Now, you can join a superstar team, play with your childhood buddy, ride another superstar’s coattails, and everybody can get paid.
You think LeBron joins the Miami Heat for a minimum contract? Think Durant goes to Golden State if they offered him the MLE? Once the money changed in the NBA, so did player empowerment. That’s the difference between players now and players back then. Free agency doesn’t change without the economic explosion first. The AAU impact, social media influence don’t matter without the change in economics.
It’s the money.
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