Adam Silver "A lot of players are unhappy"

[RJ87]

Players are put under a bigger microscope then they were.

They're also compensated more.

Maybe you're only worth a bagillion dollars because of all those articles about you.  That's how they generate money.

Players generate money through ticket and merchandise sales. And quite frankly, players really aren't compensated a lot in terms of the revenue they bring due to the salary cap.

I understand Kyrie's frustration at the attention his celebrity brings, but maybe one shouldn't seek out multiple endorsement deals, create a fictional character for a soda company and then make a feature film or speak out about evolution (the earth is flat).

I'm never going to fault a player for seeking endorsements. As it stands, Lebron and Durant will make more money from their respective Nike partnerships than they will from the NBA. Even a guy like Steph Curry - he's going to make money from Under Armour long after he retires because he'll own shares of the company. So it's not just about chasing celebrity, but setting up streams of revenue independent of basketball. More players should seek opportunities like this - maybe then there'd be less Antoine Walkers and Latrell Sprewells filing for bankruptcy after they leave the league.

As far as Kyrie, perhaps he enjoys acting? Despite his popularity, he's not active on social media and he keeps a relatively low profile in his private life. There's some fans who don't even know he has a daughter.

[jbpats]

Give me a break.

Multi millionaires working half of the year playing a childs game for a living.. and they are crying about having to deal with the media.

Sorry if my sympathy level is low for these people. Maybe my compassion lies for those working 2-3 jobs and still need to worry about keeping the lights on or putting enough food on the table for their families.

[Green-18]

Give me a break.

Multi millionaires working half of the year playing a childs game for a living.. and they are crying about having to deal with the media.

Sorry if my sympathy level is low for these people. Maybe my compassion lies for those working 2-3 jobs and still need to worry about keeping the lights on or putting enough food on the table for their families.

I completely understand why you feel this way.  The potential problem with this line of thinking is that it ignores the fact that mental health issues affect everyone.  Most of us can't relate to facing scrutiny 24/7, 365.  I can envision how difficult it would be to ignore the negativity on Twitter, especially if it's something I grew up with throughout my teenage years.  Many of these guys simply live in a different reality than us.  Doesn't make them better or worse, just different. 

Personally, I wouldn't trade a normal life for super-stardom.  Even if I was blessed with the talent to be a pro, I'd much rather be the guy who struggled to get there, as opposed to being a Superstar who was handed everything at a young age. 

[RJ87]

Give me a break.

Multi millionaires working half of the year playing a childs game for a living.. and they are crying about having to deal with the media.

Sorry if my sympathy level is low for these people. Maybe my compassion lies for those working 2-3 jobs and still need to worry about keeping the lights on or putting enough food on the table for their families.

I completely understand why you feel this way.  The potential problem with this line of thinking is that it ignores the fact that mental health issues affect everyone.  Most of us can't relate to facing scrutiny 24/7, 365.  I can envision how difficult it would be to ignore the negativity on Twitter, especially if it's something I grew up with throughout my teenage years.  Many of these guys simply live in a different reality than us.  Doesn't make them better or worse, just different. 

Personally, I wouldn't trade a normal life for super-stardom.  Even if I was blessed with the talent to be a pro, I'd much rather be the guy who struggled to get there, as opposed to being a Superstar who was handed everything at a young age.

Some demons are bigger than bank accounts. Another problem with that line of thinking is that it creates a culture of shame around mental health and it makes it hard for people - even rich ones - to seek help before it's too late. Maybe if there wasn't such a stigma still attached to it, people like Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain, and Kate Spade would still be here.

[CelticSooner]

Money is great but some people aren’t driven by money. First world problems have legitimately created problems. Idle hands are the devils playground as they say. This country in particular has a mental health crisis that boomers like Barkley just try to dismiss like it’s nothing. Side effects of the technology age is my biggest guess. So connected yet so isolated.

[Tr1boy]

Charles Barkley is right

Folks with money can at least seek help

Not a fan of Silver in general

Stern was bad too, but better than Silver

[mctyson]

I don't think this any different than any other time in league history, but as with everything it is just more known.

Yeah but the big difference today is Facebook, IG, and Twitter.  That is what these guys need to get away from.  It is not the media talking-heads.  It is the random people.