In a bold move challenging the traditional structure of professional sports, Boston Celtics star and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) vice-president Jaylen Brown has called for a radical change. He argues that NBA players should be allowed to earn equity stakes in franchises, similar to executives in major corporations, as team valuations skyrocket into the billions.
The Equity Argument: Players vs. Corporate Executives
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg News in Boston, the four-time NBA All-Star and Finals MVP drew a direct comparison between athletes and top-tier corporate employees. Brown pointed out that at companies like Apple or Nike, long-serving executives often receive stock options and equity as part of their compensation, benefiting directly from the company's growth. He believes NBA players, whose "sweat equity" drives the league's massive value, deserve a similar financial model.
"The sweat equity that you put in, you get compensated for doing your job, but you don't get compensated for the growth. In major corporations and companies, you do," Brown stated. "I think players should be able to invest alongside ownership groups," he asserted, highlighting that the current labour rules lag far behind the immense wealth generated by the sport.
Soaring Valuations and Restrictive Rules
Brown's comments come against a backdrop of record-breaking franchise sales. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), ratified in 2023 and running through the 2029-30 season, largely prohibits players from making direct investments in teams, allowing only limited stakes in publicly traded companies with NBA ties.
However, since the deal was signed, the market has exploded:
- The Boston Celtics were acquired in 2023 by a consortium led by Bill Chisholm for a staggering $6.1 billion, then a record.
- Months later, in October, billionaire Mark Walter bought the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal valuing the franchise at $10 billion, shattering the Celtics' record.
Further bolstering the league's finances, the NBA in 2024 secured lucrative new 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon, worth a reported $76 billion. This financial boom forms the core of Brown's argument for player equity.
Beyond the Court: Building 'Black Wall Street' in Boston
Jaylen Brown's advocacy extends far beyond basketball economics. A noted philanthropist and entrepreneur, he has been vocal on issues of inequality and racism. His commitment took a concrete shape in 2024 with the launch of the BostonXChange, a nonprofit accelerator.
The initiative was inspired after Brown signed his historic five-year, $303.7 million contract extension with the Celtics. He aimed to reinvest in the city, targeting the stark wealth gap highlighted by a 2015 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston study, which found the median net worth of Black Bostonians was just $8, compared to nearly $250,000 for white residents.
"The accelerator gives the talented group of people that exist here that are minorities an opportunity to win in the city that they're born and raised in," Brown explained. He envisions it as part of building a modern version of Black Wall Street, the prosperous Black community in Tulsa destroyed in 1921.
The BostonXChange's initial phase provided grants up to $100,000 over three years to businesses ranging from sports-apparel makers to AI marketing applications. Brown announced plans for a second round of applications and has expanded the model to California's Bay Area through a partnership with former NBA star Jason Kidd, launching the Oakland XChange.
On the court, Brown continues to lead, tying Celtics legend Larry Bird's record with nine consecutive 30-point games this season, proving his influence as both a premier athlete and a visionary advocate for economic change in professional sports.
