For those of you who've ever wondered why someone would quit college to join the NBA consider this: The average NCAA basketball scholarship is $16,698 per year, while the average NBA salary is nearly $5.5 million. That's greater than a 20,000 percent pay raise (which should make up for the fact that you may not yet have a college degree)!

The minimum salary for players in their first year in the NBA is currently $442,114 per year. The MINIMUM! These minimum salaries increase depending on the number of years the individual has been playing in the NBA. For a full table of minimum salaries, check out:

http://www.insidehoops.com/minimum-nba-salary.sht ml.

The highest paid NBA players, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermine O'Neal, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady, all earn salaries in excess of $19 million per year. That is such an unbelievable number! Furthermore, teams that aren't even in playoff contention are spending even greater amounts than the competitive teams, with some teams payrolls reaching the cap of $55 million.

Although the salaries are staggering, it is important to keep in mind that there are very few athletes in the NBA, and fewer than the other major professional sports. And why they're sky-high now, the salaries weren't always so high. In the 1950's, the NBA offered no health benefits, no pension plans, and no minimum range, with the average player salary of only $8,000 per year. In the 60's, as the players gained attention and the fanbase grew, they were able to negotiate a pension plan and pay increase. By the 80's, the players began to get a share in the revenues of the League, and salaries therefore began to rise dramatically. The average salary hit the $1 million mark in 1992, and players were given proper benefit plans. Since then, the salaries have sky-rocketed.

Do you think these salaries are ridiculous? Well, unfortunately we are the ones to blame, as we continue to foot the bill by buying tickets and supporting TV networks that air NBA games. When we stop watching and attending games, maybe the paychecks will become more reasonable, but until then, we have no right to complain. And, honestly, when you see the amazing skills of the players today, maybe they're actually worth it!

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