Super Leagues: Tired😴 // Player's Leagues: Wired🔌
Meet the starting lineup of your Los Angeles LeBrons! Plus Anthony Edwards quotes, Jazz hate, and more.
OPENING TIP
The most important sports news this week was the astonishingly sudden rise and fall of the European Super League. On Sunday, the announcement left everyone from prime ministers to fans to players agape and sputtering. By Tuesday, an overwhelmingly negative response had convinced the breakaway clubs to abandon their plans.
But why did it happen in the first place? At its core, the Super League reflected the recognition by Barcelona, Juventus and their ilk that their power transcends their domestic leagues (and even FIFA itself). Why subsidize other teams when you’re the reason for the big dollars in the TV contract?
For those wondering: we don’t expect to see a Super League style uprising here in the NBA. After all, the NBA already has most of what the Super League was trying to get. NBA teams already share revenue with an elite group of teams, not the unwashed masses (aka Crystal Palace). There is already a salary cap. And, of course, NBA franchises cannot get relegated, no matter how much they may have deserved it in the past.
Sure, there is a widening small market vs. large market divide in the NBA, but the lottery and salary cap serve as moderating forces, and no one wants to watch a 12-team league anyway.
Okay, so the Basketball Super League is DOA. But is the league immune to competition? We actually think a more plausible scenario is a breakaway Player’s League, in which star players set up a competing league to try to capture a larger fraction of league revenues. There are a few reasons why this could happen.
First and most importantly, basketball games are disproportionately impacted by one great player. As Barcelona has been trying to prove, Lionel Messi plus 10 randos is a lousy team. LeBron plus 4 randos is the 2018 Cavaliers. (Let’s not mention Mike Trout in case he breaks down crying.)
Second, an NBA team starts just five players (vs. 11 for soccer and NFL teams). That keeps team size down, and makes it that much easier to put something together and get alignment. So a LeBron-helmed Player’s League team would not only be competitive, it would be easy to field.
Third, the CBA keeps the very best players laughably underpaid. It’s been speculated in the past what LeBron might be worth on the open market, and most articles have headlines like “would LeBron be worth $100 Million a year?” Max salary rules plus a 50/50 split of BRI provide significant incentives for change.
Fourth, star players’ contracts are short and getting shorter. This makes it easier to collude. With LeBron and Co. becoming free agents every two years, it’s easier to find a moment to walk. Even among “standard” contracts, there isn’t a single player in the NBA currently signed beyond the 2024-2025 season.
Finally, the Super League financing that JP Morgan put together is a strong proof of concept for future wannabe startup leagues. Being able to raise a huge amount of money backed by anticipated broadcast revenues would give a Player’s League the financial security to move forward against a powerful incumbent. And given the insatiable desire on behalf of all media players for broadcast rights, there would be significant demand for this property.
Now, it’s still an uphill battle. NBA players have relatively short careers, and their compensation is currently high enough that it would be a tough sell to get them to take the risk. Even with the long-term value of owning part of that league, how many would really take the leap?
Some of our readers may consider this all too theoretical. But those readers are FOOLS!! Another major sport is dealing with an eerily similar issue right now.
The PGA of America announced this week that they would be creating a $40 million compensation pool to players who bring exposure to the game. And while it isn’t in the marketing materials, this move is very clearly meant to counter increasing noise of a Qatari-backed Professional Golf League, which would feature the best of the American and European tours. With many golfers already missing big PGA dates to chase petro-bucks in Dubai, the PGA suddenly found itself staring at the very real possibly of a tour without any of its top names.
You can bet that the NBA Players Union and the League office alike are watching these developments like hawks, and as the next CBA negotiation approaches, you are going to hear a lot more talk about ideas like this. Just remember where you heard it first.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Jazz fans hate the Rockets thanks to Mad Max! They’re just bitter about being in the Zone of Insecurity.
STL INVESTIGATES: ANTHONY EDWARDS
Awards season isn’t too far away, and debate at STL headquarters rages. Of particular interest was Rookie of the Year talk.. While advanced metrics favor LaMelo Ball as the best rookie this year even with his injury, the heart wants what the heart wants, and we love us some Anthony Edwards.
Is it the massive dunks? They’re nice. The huge scoring nights? Also fine. But mostly, for us, it’s the press conferences. Here, for your pleasure, are just a few Anthony Edwards quotes from his first year in the league.
At a press conference:
“Where you from Jim?”
“Ireland.”
“I like your accent. I want to learn how to talk like that. But, ask your question again? I was too much listening to your accent.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
On Popeyes:
On screens:
Man, it's hard to guard screens in the NBA. Them dudes big. Them dudes setting them screens, they be big. Once I watch enough film on that, it'll become easy for me because I'm pretty big also.
GQ: So... you really don’t know who A-Rod is, huh?
They told me he’s a Hall of Famer. Somebody told me he’s like the Michael Jordan of baseball… I know he date J-Lo, though!
He does not.
What?
He used to date J-Lo, but they just broke up.
Damn!
You look like you’re disappointed.
He gonna be my owner, I want him to be happy.
You think he’s gonna be happier with J-Lo?
Yeah! Like, for sure!!
And later in the same interview:
You said you would be down to do any sport as long as money is on the line. You think you can play others as well?
Yuh.
Name a few: lacrosse, hockey?
Yuh, I play allat. But I’m talm’bout: football, baseball, tennis….and I can swim.
You can swim? What events?
Straight down. I don’t know no events. I just wanna go straight down.
Just give him the award, you monsters!
NIGHTLIFE TRACKER UPDATE
With the Sterling Brown news (Cliffs Notes: he was assaulted outside a Miami strip club this week), we wanted to update our Nightlife Tracker. We find it…. unsurprising… that the nightlife incidents thus far have occurred in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, and New York. And people wonder why the Jazz can’t get free agents…
AT THE BUZZER
Knicks fans, don’t get your hopes up about Zion (The Athletic, $)
Kobe Bryant’s contract with Nike expired (Complex)
In-arena sports book coming to Phoenix (Sportico)
Fred Van Vleet on the season-long grind of 2020/21: “We did vote on the season we wanted.” (The Athletic, $)
Jalen Suggs is auctioning off an NFT of his buzzer beating Final Four shot (Opensea)