Draymond claims NBA fine system hinders players’ financial success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green knows a thing or two about how the NBA fines its players.
Green joined Shaquille O’Neal on the latest episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” where he discussed the NBA’s system for fining its players and how it negatively impacts them after they’re done playing.
“It’s actually not set up for us to be wealthy after we’re done playing.”
-Draymond Green on the NBA’s fines 👀💰 pic.twitter.com/9vCrSc5htm
— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) May 24, 2024
“The fines to me don’t make sense,” Green said. “You know, when you talk about as hard as we work to accumulate wealth, coming from situations that most people never make it out, and then you get fined the way we get fined, it’s actually not set up for us to be wealthy after we’re done playing.
“This job is not set up. The way we’re taxed, the way we’re fined. You know, you hear about all these programs. Like, this program this, this program…That s–t is to cover everybody ass. This program is to teach this guy this. But if I do something wrong, I lose $100,000. Man, it took my mom four years when I was growing up to make $100,000. And I lose that in a night because…What?
“The referee got mad at me and he didn’t like what I said to him, so I lose $5,000 like that? Like, on a tech?”
Green’s comments have gone viral on social media in recent days, with many arguing the 34-year-old’s opinion is out of touch given he’s made close to $180 million of on-court earnings alone throughout his career.
However, some believe there is some truth to what Green is saying, specifically with younger and fringe roster players who don’t make nearly as much as Green and other star NBA players.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that Green, himself, is set up well financially for a long, long time.
