How Michael Jordan Influenced High Paying Contracts

Should professional athletes be paid much less than what they are currently earning? According www.hoopshype.com, NBA salaries have significantly increased over the past twenty years. During the 1990s, players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson made nearly two and a half million dollars a year at some point in their legendary careers. Today, players close to their caliber make over twenty million dollars a year, but do not win as much games. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett are the select few players who make over twenty million a year, but one of them has proven to win games regardless of the roster given to them. Tim Duncan is currently the only player in the NBA that has the ability to make lowly franchises into championship contenders. Many fans would say Kobe, but he only wins games when he has other superstars on his squad (Shaquille O'Neal being one of them).

If Tim Duncan was around the league during the early 1990s, he would be earning nearly four million dollars a year with the San Antonio Spurs since he's an elite player. Salaries have skyrocketed in today's generation, but it's really not the players fault in this case or any case for that matter. The real reason why these athletes get paid absurd amounts of money is because of the fans in general. They are the ones who pay ridiculous amounts of money for tickets, jerseys, and other related merchandise. If they were smart enough not to pay so much money for these things, players would witness a dramatic decrease in their salaries. Believe or not, there were less fans watching basketball during Michael Jordan's generation than Kobe Bryant's. Players were perceived more as athletes than celebrities during Michael Jordan's prime and that could be another on why they were paid much less.

Unfortunately, there are NBA players who show no signs of contribution to the sport and somehow make more than what Michael and Magic made back in 1992 combined. Players like Marko Jaric and Marcin Gortat earn over five million dollars a year and only score three points per game. According to www.espn.com, Stephon Marbury actually made over twenty million dollars in one year for the New York Knicks without playing a single a game for them.