A quick look at the NBA and NBPA’s most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed last year shows what kinds of benefits NBA players are entitled to.
When it comes to travel, players will receive a budget of $156 for meals during travel days, which can be adjusted depending on the cost of living of the city they are in.
If their travel exceeds one hour, players must be provided with first-class accommodation and the difference in fare between coach and first class if it is unavailable.
If players are forced to relocate, their team must cover the cost, along with paying for hotel expenses for up to 46 days, and housing costs of up to $6,000 a month.
NBA players will also get access to a retirement plan which begins after they turn 62. The plan’s monthly sum is determined based on a player’s tenure in the league, with a flat fee of $1,001.47 per month, for every season they played in the league.
For example, if Stephen Curry retires after playing 18 seasons in the NBA, he will receive $18,026.46 every month after he turns 62 years old.
Unsurprisingly, players are entitled to complimentary tickets for their team’s games, with them having access to four tickets for a home game, and two tickets for an away game.
They also of course get free access to the NBA’s League Pass (except 10-day contracts and two-way players), which can be used to watch all NBA games through the regular season and the playoffs.
NBA Players Receive Educational Benefits And Bonuses For Playoff Performance
The league also provides players with various health and educational programs. Educational and career counseling programs have a $2 million fund available. Career transition programs have $893,397 available in funds, and a health education program has $628,549 in available funds for players to use.
Players, through their teams, receive a certain sum of money for reaching the playoffs. This comes from a base of $31 million, which can be increased based on basketball-related income.
The amount each team, and subsequently, each player gets increases based on a team’s playoff performance, and how far they go.
The NBA also agrees to fund an annual basketball camp for high school players, which is organized by the NBPA and has a budget of $1.6 million, which increases with every passing season.
And lastly, the NBA also agrees to help players acquire an ownership stake in a WNBA team, on the condition that their share is not more than 4% of the total team value, and they do not receive any governance role on the team.
The NBPA clearly had some strong demands when it came to the benefits and perks that players in the league receive.
And they did a good job negotiating with the league to make sure that all players in the league, no matter the size of their contract and the role they play, get access to these perks both during and after their NBA careers are over.
It will be interesting to see how these perks and benefits change or continue come time for the next collective bargaining agreement in 2029.
With the league penning a massive $76 billion media rights deal this year, expect some of these financial perks and benefits to increase greatly when the next CBA is signed.
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