At the end of the day, it all boils down to money.
“Player agents believe that the NBA took a hardline stance on the Manila event because it wants to keep financial control of these international events involving NBA players, selling its own sponsorships to organizers and controlling the payouts to players,” Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports about the cancelled “Last Home Stand” charity basketball games.
The report adds that the NBA players cut a direct deal with the Manila organizers, including some star players earning $150,000-plus stipends for the two-day event, organized by telecom giant PLDT. Tickets cost between PHP750 and PHP23,000.
READ: MVP, PLDT sorry for cancellation of charity baskteball games
But an NBA source quoted by Yahoo denies that it was just about the money.
“A high-ranking league official told Yahoo Sports ‘our biggest concerns aren’t sponsorships and payouts, but the playing conditions around the games–quality of the floor, equipment around the court, presence of doctors and facilities for treatment, etc.’,” according to the report.
The NBA players who were supposed to participate in the games are James Harden, Ed Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Nick Johnson, Kyle Lowry, Tyson Chandler, Terrence Ross, Brandon Jennings, Damian Lillard, and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Photo: www.nbagameonline.com
