NBAPA Head On Max Salary: 'The Premise Offends Me'

New NBA Players Association head Michele Roberts doesn’t agree with the maximum salary or age limit, but knows that’s the reality on the league.

More from NBA

It is widely agreed that the Players Association got hosed on the latest round of collective bargaining, and after some turmoil in the ranks of the Players Association, Roberts has been named the new head. And she’s taking a stand against many of the principals set forth by the league.

From SheridanHoops.com.

"CS: “What are your thoughts on the age limit, restricting the age someone can come into the NBA to 19, instead of 18, as it once was.”MR: “The word that is troubling to me, generally speaking, is ‘restriction.’ My DNA is offended by the notion that someone should not be able to make a living because he needs to have been alive a year longer. That’s Michele, not Michele NBPA executive director.”CS: “So you are sympathetic to 18-year olds?”MR: “I am. I know what it means to want to be able to make a living and support your family. (Emmanuel Mudiay) can’t play in his country because he’s not old enough. That makes no sense to me.”CS: “Your thoughts on the max salary?”MR: “I have difficulty with rules that suggest that for some reason, in this space, we are not going to allow you to do what is ordinarily allowed in every other aspect of American life – you can work and get compensated at the level that someone thinks you’re worth being compensated at. And for all the reasons that it might be reasonable, it still – as a base – the premise offends me. So for me, there needs to be a justification that is substantial. And I’m told that in large part it’s because there’s an inability on the part of some owners to control their check-writing habits. So that’s where I am. Now, there’s a history that led up to max contracts, and I’m not going to pretend it’s not significant. But if you ask me off the cuff, that’s my response.”CS: “What about having rookies on a salary scale?”MR: “It’s got to be consistent. If the genesis was that people were not able to control or limit show much they would be paying someone new to the league, is the answer to somehow artificially impose a scale? That would not have been my answer. And I would support any decision to revoke that schedule, but again, that’s Michele speaking.”"

It’s good that Roberts is taking a hard stand and challenging the league. If you think she’s being aggressive, remember that is her job. She fights for the players and the owners fight for their wallets and they collectively bargain to come down somewhere in the middle.

The owners basically have most of the leverage in these situations, and historically have gotten the better end of the Players Association. However, a small victory here and there could be the goal. Maybe Roberts can negotiate for higher maximum salaries (or a different way of calculating the max), higher salaries for rookies or can alter the age limit. But getting all those things is a long shot.

One thing is for sure, though. With the NBA getting a new, massive television deal, the players will be looking to get as much a piece of that as they can.

More from FanSided

Home/NBA

NBAPA Head On Max Salary: ‘The Premise Offends Me’

By Wes Goldberg | Oct 16, 2014

More from FanSided