Always think World Cups are so beautiful for associative memory. They come every four years, allow you to reflect on life, how far you have come, where you were when it last came and just an opportunity to somehow be grateful for everything.
Earlier today I saw the Rich Paul clip about $200M not being, to paraphrase, a lot of money. Some are laughing at it. Other folks see a nuanced reality. I get both reactions.
Forget what he said, though. I'm only bringing it up because it made me want to talk about NBA money, and more timely, WNBA money.
A lot of us reached the NBA with humble roots and suddenly a lot of earning potential, if not immediate $. Some had good advisors they actually listened to, some didn't, and some were just figuring it out on the fly. But we all knew the $ was coming (and going to stop coming) eventually. We had time to get ready, even if some of us didn't use it as well as we should've.
The WNBA situation right now is diffferent, though. The CBA got done fast, free agency moved fast, and a generation of hoopers who spent their careers underpaid, grinding on modest salaries, suddenly became top 5 to 10% earners in this country almost overnight. Their incomes are public. People, from friends to fam to foes, are in their personal business in ways they probably weren't prepared for.
And I'm beginning to hear about it in my hoops network. Talks of anxiety, some real stressful situations, struggles that I think are starting to even manifest for some players on court.
Some of my dearest friends are OG W players. I like this league (a lot) and I'm glad the women finally got what they deserved. More pro$ than con$ to where things are right now, no question about that. But champagne problems are still problems.
I hope agents, financial advisors, and the W union are putting legit hours into this right now, sitting down with these women, answering their questions, making sure they have the tools to navigate their new reality, and are advocates for them, financially but also emotionally.
The women of the W earned their prize. Now let's make sure they're in a position to keep it.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “It was a failure. I failed at my goal. I didn't achieve what I wanted to achieve. But through those experiences, I learn the most about myself and make the greatest amount of increases in my career when I fail."