"We will, we will, ROCK YOU".

The music booms out of speakers that seem to be growing out of the every inch of the arena's ceilings, and a light show ensues. Pretty soon, twelve players emerge from the hallway and out onto the basketball court. Twelve players, I might add, that are richer than most people can ever dream of being. And a few of those twelve players, may never even need to step foot onto the basketball court. For this, they are paid millions of dollars a year.

Basketball, and all professional sports, have had their salaries scrutinized by the public for years. But the questions has always remained, are they worth what they are paid?

Did you know, that professional athlete's salaries have risen faster and more furious than any other career? For instance, in 1957, the average salary of a NBA player was a mere $12,000. Today, the average yearly salary stands at about $5.356 million. That is an astounding increase! Most people won't see this much money in a lifetime, let alone in just one year.

It isn't a bad business to start out at entry level, either. In 2005, the top paid rookie was Andrew Bogut, and he started out at $3.617 million. And, the top 10 were all paid above $2 million a year. A point to remember, these figures are base salary only, they do not include bonuses, benefits or endorsements they may receive. The more popular and successful players often earn more in bonuses and endorsements than their base salary. They pay more in taxes per month than many of us probably make all year!

The shear amount of money within the NBA as a whole, is astounding. The salary cap this year stands at $55.63 million per team. Of course, there are no minimum guidelines, and there are minimal consequences if a team exceeds this amount. (Something that is known to happen). If you add up all the salaries across the board for NBA players, the number exceeds $1.5 billion dollars. Quite a sum of money!

Now with this in mind, are they worth what they are paid? Many argue that teachers, public servants and even doctors should be making more than professional athletes. Yet, we continue to feed into the frenzy. We attend games and events, we buy merchandise and snacks, and we do not hesitate to pay top dollar for these items.

I, for one, believe that they are overpaid, while teachers and police officers remain in the category of severely underpaid. But in the same breath, I can attest that I love to attend sporting events and cheer on my teams. LeBron James has my support at each and every game he is in. What I do like about many of my favorite players, is they do not hesitate to help the public or charities in need. For that, I am grateful they have the money they do, and they are willing to help others with it.

It seems that not so long ago, the NBA had a bad reputation for tempers and trouble. The recent years have seen a change in that. I have seen more players doing good than bad. I hope that continues, and I hope they use their $5.356 million dollars to help communities and charities across the country.

I am a basketball fan until the end, and I will continue to support my faovrite teams and favorite players. Even if they are paid millions of dollars a year!

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Metz.
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