The NBA has been a league's powerhouse for years. The NFL, though, is starting to make some noise in recent years. It's not uncommon to hear people ask: "Which sport is more valuable?" The answer isn't as simple as you'd think—it depends on how you define value.
What do both leagues have in common? They're both built around star players. But what makes NBA stars so special? And why does basketball have such high stakes for its best players? Here are some key differences that help explain why NBA players get paid more than NFL players. Hopefully, understanding the differences will help you make a good choice next time you're wondering who to gamble on with an online sportsbook.
The NBA is a league built on stars
The NBA is a league built on stars: from Vince Carter to Tracy McGrady to LeBron James, there have always been players who can take over games and make you wonder if they are truly human. The NFL has its share of superstars, but the game is more about scheme than individual matchups like the NBA. It’s no secret that many NFL coaches will try to avoid putting their best players in one-on-one situations because they know it’s easier for defenses to exploit mismatches when they happen frequently rather than occasionally.
The NFL is built on teams, not individual players. You can't just sign your star player to a $200 million contract and expect him to carry your team for the next decade. Instead, you need to build an entire roster around him to compete with other teams with elite talent. That's why it's so rare for NFL teams to pay big money for one player: they'd rather build from within and make incremental changes than go all-in on one expensive addition.
It is quite apparent that NBA teams have much greater potential than NFL teams in acquiring top superstars, such as LeBron James. If he played in the NFL, he would indeed be compensated with more money, yet his ability to affect his team's success would be drastically diminished. He could not propel his team to victories with only his presence and play due to the sheer lack of surrounding talent.
The quantity of talent that can be brought together by a football team pales in comparison to the amount of potential held by each individual athlete on a basketball court. Thus, James would not be able to do much to bring success to his team, leading to lower overall points and fewer victories for the team.
NBA players make more money than stars in other sports
Professional athletes in the NBA make more money than NFL players and those in many other top sporting leagues.
In football, players are paid based on their contract with their team. If a player's contract stipulates he will receive $500,000 per year for four years, that's what he gets every year until his contract expires (or gets renegotiated). If he performs poorly or his team doesn't win enough games, they won't renew his contract, and he'll be cut from the team. The same goes for other players who get released by their teams or retire early—they simply find another team willing to pay them what they're worth.
The NBA has a long history of massive salaries, with the average player salary hovering around $6.2 million per season. This is far higher than the average salary of other professional sports leagues, such as MLB ($4.5 million) and NFL ($2.7 million).
The primary reason that NBA players can make more money than other athletes is their immense popularity. The NBA has become a globally recognized brand, broadcasting games in more than 200 countries and territories. The league's popularity has led to a huge increase in TV rights fees and merchandise sales, which generate additional revenue for the league and its players.
In addition, the NBA has a unique salary structure that allows teams to pay their stars more than the league's average salary. This is because the NBA operates under a soft salary cap, which allows teams to exceed the salary cap if they choose to sign a player to a max deal. This means the league's superstars, such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry, can make significantly more money than their peers.
What makes an NBA or NFL team 'good'?
If you've ever watched a basketball game, you'll notice that the strategy is pretty straightforward: get your best players the ball and let them do their thing. The team with the best players usually wins, which makes sense because they have a better chance at scoring than their opponents.
In football, though? Not so much. Football is all about matchups—if you match up one player against another player better than him in terms of size, speed, or strategy (that last one matters most), you've already won half of your battle. Because of this, NFL teams are built around these matchups more than individual talent.
Conclusion
As you can see, many factors influence the value of NBA stars over NFL players. The NBA is a league built on stars and individual matchups. On the other hand, the NFL has a different structure in which teams rely more heavily on whether they win or lose based on how well their players work together as a whole unit instead of just relying on one player to carry them through each game.
