NBA franchises are worth more than ever. The league will soon begin lucrative new national TV contracts. Free agents are getting crazy-large contracts.
So, of course, NBA owners are crying poverty.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver delivered the message, which should be viewed as a prelude to a 2017 work stoppage.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post:
Adam Silver says there are still a "significant number" of teams that are losing money.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 15, 2015
That might be technically true, though I’m hardly convinced of even that.
In reality, owners can come out like bandits even if their teams are losing money. They can funnel money to related interests, and they get tax breaks.
They surely want to get even more money from the players’ share – or at least prevent the players from getting more than now. Owners saying they’re losing money is a way to bargain.
It’s just a strained argument – at best.