GQ Magazine sat down with NBA commissioner Adam Silver to talk all things "all things," in naming him the "Rookie of the Year" in their latest issue. The interview was conducted by Chuck Klosterman, and spanned such topics as raising the age limit for NBA-eligible players to Roger Goodell's job as the NFL commissioner to drug testing and marijuana use in the NBA.
One interesting moment was when Silver called out the Brooklyn Nets when he was asked a simple, broad question:
If you could instantly change anything about the NBA, without having to negotiate the terms or compromise your position, what change would you make?
I would have a harder salary cap. I still think it's unhealthy for the league when a team like Brooklyn goes out and pays an exorbitant luxury tax in order to give themselves a better chance to win. From a league-office standpoint, the ideal league would be for all thirty teams to compete based on the skill of their management and players, as opposed to one team paying more to get better talent. So creating a more even system would be at the top of my list. And I'll give you one more: I think it would benefit the league to raise the minimum age from 19 to 20.
Of course this point of contention typically rears its head in discussions surrounding labor negotiations, and as Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game notes, this is sure to be a part of the conversation in 2016 when the NBA and Player's Association negotiate a new labor agreement.
Yes, much like everything, this seems like a well-placed talking point in a low-stakes interview within a men's interest magazine where conversation about marijuana and Roger Goodell are of more interest than luxury tax spending.
- NBA commissioner cites Nets spending as "unhealthy for the league" - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game
- NBA commissioner rips Brooklyn Nets spending spree - Filip Bondy - New York Daily News
- NBA commissioner says Nets' spending bad for the game - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- NBA commissioner calls Nets’ spending ‘unhealthy’ - Brian Lewis - New York Post