One of the ways the NBA protects the rights of their athletes, is by forming organizations like the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). When the NBPA was founded in 1954, its main goal was to, “ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals, both on and off the court.” This association has proven successful because before the NBPA there was no minimum wage, pension plan, meal money, or health benefits for the players though the NBA. Additionally, the average salary in the league was only eight thousand dollars. The NBPA challenged the NBA and protected the players in the league by looking out for their well being. Additionally, the NBPA provides the players with opportunities off the court like, “executive leadership roles, to team representative positions, global community outreach initiatives… to get involved with democratic institution.”
One of the other important things that the NBA emphasizes is expanding their brand into other countries around the world. When the NBA first started, the league was composed of mostly American born players. Now, the NBA has become more diverse and last year’s opening day, 108 foreign born players checked in to the game. Also, every team in the league had a non-American player on the roster. Additionally, every year during the NBA Allstar Break, a game is held where rookies and second year players play a game of the USA vs World. This game is important because it promotes diversity within the league. Events like these continue to allow the NBA to become a global brand and continue becoming a globally dominant business.
