Hot button sports topic alert. Steph Curry is putting the spotlight on a conversation many folks may not be ready for. Despite signing one of the largest single-season contracts in NBA history, the four-time champion believes that players are still leaving a lot of money on the table.
In a recent interview with the great journalists over at Complex’s Speedy Morman, Curry explained why he thinks NBA athletes are actually underpaid when you look beyond the big checks and into the bigger picture.
“I think, because of the way the CBA is structured right now, we can’t participate in equity,” Curry said. “And that’s a big deal because, it is a partnership with ownership. It’s a partnership with the league, and we’re on a short-term of that revenue.” He went on to explain, “Those numbers sound crazy, but what the league is doing from whatever area you want to compare it to, to now is, probably 10x that. So like, the idea that we can’t participate in equity while we’re playing is part of why I would say yes, we are underpaid, ’cause you want to be able to participate in that.”
Get this, Curry’s comments come after he inked a one-year contract extension worth $62.6 million in August 2024, keeping him with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season. Not long after, Oklahoma City Thunder’s MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year extension worth $285 million. When that deal kicks in for the 2027-28 season, he’ll average over $71 million per year.
What’s more, while Curry acknowledges that players are fortunate to earn a living doing what they love, he believes the rules should evolve. “I know we’re blessed to be in a position where we’re playing basketball for a living, and these are the type of checks that people are earning. And I think it’s all deserved. Hopefully sooner than later, those rules change a little bit so that players can participate more in the upside of team equity, the league, evaluations, and all that type of stuff. Just ’cause I think we deserve it,” he said.
Curry’s comments stirred a lot of debate on socials. Some fans applauded his take, pointing to the massive wealth athletes help generate for team owners. One user commented, “The Warriors were worth 315 million before they drafted him. They’re now worth 9 billion dollars. He should definitely have equity.” Others, however, pushed back, calling the current salaries more than enough. “What happens when you give a player equity in the team, and then they get traded? You gotta pay these dudes with a stake of every team?” one person asked.
Another added, “Technically they are underpaid, yes. Morally they are massively overpaid, as are the owners and media companies cutting the rights checks.”