“They’re talented, but they don’t know how to play the game” - Rich Paul explains one problem that could hurt the NBA in the future
The NBA currently finds itself in a pretty great spot. Money is coming in from several different avenues, the talent level is at an all-time high, and fans are tuning in to watch games more than ever. As a result, the NBA is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world.
However, there are always things that could be better or fixed, as mega agent Rich Paul recently noted. While Paul agreed the game is in a great spot, he pointed out one issue that could end up hurting it down the line.
Paul’s big concern for the NBA
Paul is the founder of Klutch Sports Group, and he represents several big-name players across the league, chief among them being his longtime friend LeBron James. With that in mind, he is uniquely positioned to weigh in on the state of the game.
While Paul doesn’t play, he sees things about the NBA from a different perspective than most folks do. His concern for the league is with their players, as he openly wondered whether or not they know how to play the game within the game that comes with being a basketball star.
“Talent-wise, there’s a lot of talented players, there’s a lot of talent,” the agent said on All The Smoke. “This is the most talent I think we’ve had in our league in a long time. But there’s an aspect of understanding what it is to be a great partner, and when you are trying position yourself to be one of the faces, because I don’t think they will be one face, I think those days are over, but to be one of the faces of the league, there’s a partnership that comes with that that you have to understand."
“There’s a reputation you have to uphold, there’s a professionalism you have to uphold, there’s a giving of your time that you have to carve out to do certain things to continue to move the game forward, and your production every night, nobody don’t care. So you had 30? OK, great. You had 35? OK, great. You had 40? Great, that’s expected of you, we expect that of you. Today, a lot of guys come in our league, and they’re talented, but they don’t know how to play the game. And then in addition to that, they also don’t know how to play the game within the game,” Paul added.
Does Paul make a good point?
This is an interesting opinion from Paul, as he shines a light on one of the more overlooked aspects of the league. All these players are focused on being the best basketball player they can be, but there’s so much more that goes into succeeding in the league.
There are certain things you have to do once you are in the NBA that many people gloss over. You have to be a professional, conduct yourself in a proper way, and put in the work behind the scenes in order to ensure your success when the lights are brightest.
It’s not easy to do, and it’s something that many players struggle with. So sure, they might be talented players on the floor, but if they aren’t helping the league off the court as well, what does that mean for the game's future?
This is a fair question to ask, but chances are it is something that won’t be a massive problem for the league. Paul is correct in saying all of this, though, and it will be something to keep an eye on as the league continues to grow and become more popular than ever.
