No your really not gonna want to touch dem dildoes.
Just the other day, I saw some article claiming that Caitlin Clark sitting out with injuries this year has led to decreased revenues from the fanbase that has wanted to see her ever since her rookie season last year. The players need to realize that they need some sort of star power and/or fan appeal to keep fans attending games and bringing in more money so the league can ultimately stop losing money and afford better salaries. Instead, the players through their union are looking at the situation with tunnel vision in demanding more without regard to the ramifications of a league having increased expenses against revenue that is isn't growing in proportion to those expenses.
I'll chime in and say I also think a lot of it has to do with the fact Clark is a straight white woman playing in a league with a disproportionate number of lesbians - especially black ones - who are open about their relationships and equally open about their resentment towards anyone who isn't one of them. That said, the fact Clark has been physically brutalized as much as she has on the court over the past two seasons is appalling - more so if it's because of her race, orientation, or both. If the WNBA is like its male counterpart in requiring players and arenas to promote messages of diversity, no hate, etc., there would be a certain irony that the league and its players have no problem with a popular player being treated as poorly as she has because she's not a lesbian. If Clark were to nope out of the WNBA over this, the league will be truly screwed because the gains in popularity and revenue driven by her presence will go away as well.
Issue is he's definitely not the only one doing something like this (Brunson), it's happened before and it'll happen again. Sterling being that flagrantly racist threatened the cash flow of the other 29, but I don't think Ballmer cheating the salary cap threatens the cash flow in the same way and at least some of the others would rather not have their own books looked at too closely. They'll probably just dock a zillion picks from the Clippers and they'll suck for a decade like they did when the Joe Smith stuff happened with the Timberwolves.
I hate to parrot but I think Steven A got it on the head. I think he's right that Kawhi is probably the superstar that I don't even associate with his current team. He does nothing extracurricular (honestly based, can't blame him) but I legitimately couldn't have told you he played for the Clippers 2 days ago. I do not understand trying to circumvent salary caps to make him a cornerstone of your team that's already not the one associated with your specific city. Kobe and Shaq still have far more brand value for LA basketball than anyone who is or has been on the Clippers and now they're milking LeBron for whatever years he has left. .
A boomer silicon valley cokehead and a nigger? I'm not surprised, but I'm amused by it.
The Clippers literally just built the best stadium for basketball that exists. They ain't going nowhere.
