Why Some NBA Players Are Reportedly Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down businesses across the country and impacted millions financially--and NBA players are not exempt.
Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum discussed the impact the league is facing during The Boardroom with former NBA player Jay Williams.
During the show, McCollum explained that for professional athletes at the lower salary level, the pandemic has resulted in them living close to a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle since the NBA announced they were suspending the season..
"I would say out of 450 players … 150 probably are living paycheck to paycheck," McCollum said.
McCollum, a vice president for the NBA players association, continued by sharing that a lot of athletes are hurting right now and the league could see a pay stoppage coming soon, along with lost revenue for whenever the season resumes.
“I think a lot of guys are going to be hurting especially people on minimums or people that didn't just budget correctly and didn't expect this to happen,” McCollum told Williams on the show. “Maybe they loaned money or paid money to family. Maybe they're taking care of multiple people and now there's a work stoppage for us and for a lot of people in America.”
On Monday (April 6), NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that there is “too little information” to confidently project when the league can return to the court, after a report broke that the organization is considering ways to expedite when games can resume.
Watch CJ McCollum’s full interview on The Boardroom below.