Editorial: 10 WNBA Greats Who Should Be Forbes Listers

[RockyMTblue2]

Shredding the Forbes 100 highest-paid athletes list (one player at time): On the WNBA greats

"So, let’s analyze the current basketball players who are on the list against the current basketball players who are not on the list — but who should be — based on skill and achievement (championships, awards and records). The result, of course, is abject ridiculousness."

 

[CL82]

Geesh, the Forbes list is highest paid athletes. Who "should" be on it? Um, oh I don't know, maybe the highest paid athletes?

 

[meyers7]

Ok, that may be one of the stupidest articles I've ever read. The stupidest part is comparing Chris Bosh with Serena Williams. Comparing a guaranteed salary vs a salary based on winning tournaments (of which she didn't enter any).

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well, sure @CL82 , the list is just data, but the point is look at the low talents paid ridiculous sums in the NBA. It's an editorial - an opinion piece.

 

[triaddukefan]

Pretty sure my neighbor's dog could have written a better article than that

 

[CL82]

Well, sure @CL82 , the list is just data, but the point is look at the low talents paid ridiculous sums in the NBA. It's an editorial - an opinion piece.

Yep, but it's an apples and oranges comparison. If WNBA teams earned what NBA teams earn, then the comparison would make more sense. It doesn't. Absent those earnings there isn't a pool to draw on to pay stars salaries, thus there is a disparity in what they earn.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Yep, but it's an apples and oranges comparison. If WNBA teams earned what NBA teams earn, then the comparison would make more sense. It doesn't. Absent those earnings there isn't a pool to draw on to pay stars salaries, thus there is a disparity in what they earn.

Yeah, I know. I just like serving up activity; some days I get desperate!

 

[Sifaka]

Yeah, I know. I just like serving up activity; some days I get desperate!

You epitomize the adage made quasi-somewhat famous in Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny c. 1951:

"When in danger, when in doubt,
run in circles, scream and shout!"

Beats waiting for the next game. Thanks for the diversions.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Pretty sure my neighbor's dog could have written a better article than that

I suspect he would raise the bar in today's media. Actually, I'm sure of it.

 

[Sifaka]

Pretty sure my neighbor's dog could have written a better article than that

Or, found a better use for it than reading.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The point of the Forbes article is that women's basketball has some amazing talents, features incredibly credentialed women playing the same game as the men. Yet while women tennis players now make millions of dollars playing their sport, women basketball players are paid a pittance for their efforts compared with the men.

One only has to look back a few decades to baseball to understand how the economic structure of a professional sport can unfairly suppress salaries. After the flood gates opened after Curt Flood's lawsuit against major league baseball was successful, salaries exploded. So did ticket prices, but the values of franchises rose exponentially.

Women basketball players, playing in the league established by the NBA itself, deserve better salaries, and certainly the Ten Best deserve far more than they are receiving. What is overseas women's pro basketball doing right that permits them to pay six- and seven-figure salaries to American stars, while the NBA's women's league pays salaries that aren't even competitive with those of school teachers?

Good article asking relevant questions.

 

[cohenzone]

The only merit to that article is it stuck to hoops. Totally disregarded sports economics or economics generally. Athletes, movie stars, a bunch of CEOs and BY administrators are paid way more than their value to society. But it’s worth it to somebody to pay them like that.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The only merit to that article is it stuck to hoops. Totally disregarded sports economics or economics generally. Athletes, movie stars, a bunch of CEOs and BY administrators are paid way more than their value to society. But it’s worth it to somebody to pay them like that.

Sometimes, as with baseball players and women tennis pros, they have to force the issue in order to get paid "what they're worth."

 

[meyers7]

What is overseas women's pro basketball doing right that permits them to pay six- and seven-figure salaries to American stars, while the NBA's women's league pays salaries that aren't even competitive with those of school teachers?

Losing tons of money. Lot's of the teams are just play things for the millionaire/billionaire owners. Something to show off. Or just a throw away for a club that has other income.

Good article asking relevant questions.

Errr no. It was pretty stupid. Errr, no, it was infinitely stupid. Not even sure I can qualify how stupid it was.