Why bigger pie is not enough for all

ByKEVIN ARNOVITZ
July 15, 2015, 12:41 AM

— -- LAS VEGAS -- Just about the time DeAndre Jordan sorted out his internal conflict, NBA teams had committed to players' contracts whose total compensation nearly equaled the $1.7 billion debt payment Greece failed to pay the IMF to avoid a default.

A person can drive himself crazy drawing parallels like these: The summer blockbuster budget versus the per capita earnings of a distressed nation. The cost of running a senatorial campaign versus the capital required to give homes to those who need them in that state. Or the salary of Enes Kanter versus the collective earnings of everyone on your block.

So you have to feel for NBA commissioner Adam Silver when he was asked whether he was concerned about the NBA's new reality, one being fueled by Monopoly money.

"I think most fans recognize that to the extent that these guys have a special and unique talent that are being rewarded by the marketplace," Silver said. "It's very difficult to make value judgments. I'm like any other fan when I say, oh, my God, I can't believe that compared to a teacher or doctor or someone else. But we live in a market economy. So that's how values are set."