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[JSD]

In the news recently, Lebron discussed how he is vastly underpaid. I think he is right. If basketball was like baseball and didn't have a salary cap, how much would Lebron command a year? I'm thinking $30-40 million sounds about right...

Now, him bringing this topic up is a whole other story.

[Roy H.]

He's right.  Michael Jordan got paid $33 million, and that was like 15 years ago.

[Eigild]

Of course he is underpaid if we talk actual market value. But why does he have to brack about and let us now? It lefts a bad taste and yet again doesn't leave him in the best light. It is estimated he earns around 40 mio. $ a year in sponsorships etc.
A good take on it http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/02/01/lebron-james-contract-underpaid-miami-heat-nba/1885161/

[krook]

[SHAQATTACK]

Bron is right. .     I don't really think it is fair for the NBA to tell limit the pay the players can earn.

no one tells Tiger Woods he has a pay cap.

Paying players is how you build a team.......seems wrong to limit what they can earn.

[Moranis]

I don't think he was complaining about it, he was complaining about not getting credit for sacrificing his own pay for the good of the team. Still whining, but a totally different sort of whining.

[Sketch5]

He's right.  Michael Jordan got paid $33 million, and that was like 15 years ago.

Jordan got payed that the last two seasons he played with the Bulls. And that was after winning 4 championships. Lebron only has one, and failed two other times.

Before that he made 4 million max. So Lebron can't really say much, even with inflation Jordan got payed less, but actually earned his big pay off his last couple seasons...

[scaryjerry]

He's right.  Michael Jordan got paid $33 million, and that was like 15 years ago.

He definitely is right...agreed.

But Michael Jordan earned that 33 million making role player money nowadays throughout most of his early career.

Just look at kgs earnings in his NBA career...well above what Lebron will ever get.

Buttttt hard to feel bad when he makes triple what he makes in the NBA in endorsements

[BudweiserCeltic]

Bron is right. .     I don't really think it is fair for the NBA to tell limit the pay the players can earn.

no one tells Tiger Woods he has a pay cap.

Paying players is how you build a team.......seems wrong to limit what they can earn.

LeBron could always go and play golf then.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

He's vastly underpaid. Too bad he was young.

Basketball and marketing alone, what he brings to the team, very underpaid.

[Sketch5]

The thing is with the new cap now it makes it so every team has a shot of getting a superstar and compete.

So in a couple years he will be getting his value by NBA standards in a sense.

Its also hard to say what his value is when he's playing with two other all stars that can help carry the team. If Im paying a single player 40 mill, he would need to be able to carry the team with support players and maybe a Robin type player, and never loose to the Wizards, or twice to the bucks.

Most people don't get to do what they like to in life for a job, even less have jobs they enjoy. So for him to complain about not getting value in a time when most people took pay cuts to keep their jobs, or other people who use to make 70 grand a year now make 30 is a tasteless statement to make.

He also complained that he wouldn't get to watch the Superbowl because the team plane doesn't have tv.

Well heres two options Queen James. You come to my house, and watch the game, and I'll suit up and take you place and get payed your check for the game which will be more then i make in 15-20 years, I'd miss the bowl just you can see it, it would be my sacrifice for the Queendom.

Or not take the team flight, book on on Jet Blue and watch the game on their in flight tv, and Dunkin Doughnuts so you should be all good.

[BballTim]

I don't think he was complaining about it, he was complaining about not getting credit for sacrificing his own pay for the good of the team. Still whining, but a totally different sort of whining.

  The issue isn't that he's sacrificing a million a year or whatever, the issue is that he's worth at least double what he gets. It's a huge advantage for teams that have actual franchise players. Think about it, next year Josh Smith could be making comparable money to James. Who would you rather have?

  Imagine if you had the cap but eliminated the max salary. Someone would have offered James well more than the Heat did. Miami may have been able to sign him but would have lost 1 of Bosh or Wade in the process. It would be a more wide open league, with teams that had no superstars able to compete with teams that had those stars because of the quality of the rest of the roster.

[Who]

$60 million per annum

[thirstyboots18]

Send him to the Lakers (large market team used to overpaying its stars), let him be taxed at 13.5 % by California, while paying him what he is worth.  California's budget woes solved.   

[staticcc]

There really are some haters here. He was asked the question, he didn't brag about it.