As the value of NBA teams rises into the billions of dollars, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has said that players should be allowed to own a share of the teams they help build. He believes that the NBA’s current labor rules do not reflect the huge wealth created by the league.
Brown, who plays forward for the Boston Celtics and is also the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), said NBA players should be treated more like top employees in major companies. He pointed out that workers at companies such as Apple or Nike often receive company shares or equity after years of service.
According to Brown, basketball players invest not just their time but also their physical and mental effort, which helps increase the value of NBA franchises. However, while players are paid salaries for their work, they do not benefit from the long-term growth of the teams’ value.
“The effort and sacrifice you put in is rewarded through salary,” Brown said in an interview with Bloomberg News in Boston on Thursday. “But players don’t get rewarded when the value of the team grows. In big companies, employees do get that benefit.”
Brown’s comments add to the growing discussion about player rights, compensation, and ownership in professional sports, especially as team owners continue to make massive profits from rising franchise values.