LeBron James’ The Shop features Fair Pay to Play Act signed

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to make an impact off the court, as his show, The Shop, had a historic signing.

LeBron James‘ first season with the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t live up to expectations on the court. Off the court, however, he continues to get the job done.

Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed the Fair Pay to Play Act officially making it legal for college athletes in California to sign endorsement deals and profit from their names, images, and likeness.

It is something that James has spoken out about, and the bill signing was something that he was a part of

In a move that many anticipated after the bill passed unanimously through the state’s legislature, the Governor made it official while appearing on an episode of LeBron James’ The Shop.

Many, including Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, view this as a win for college athletes not just in California but across the country. Other states are expected to introduce similar bills including New York and South Carolina.

As college sports have grown into a billion-dollar industry the NCAA’s refusal to compensate college athletes or allow them to profit independently has come into question.

NBA agent Rich Paul, who also owns Klutch Sports and represents LeBron James, wrote an op-ed last month criticizing the NCAA’s attempt to further restrict student-athletes ability to not only get paid but chose their own representation. He helped then NBA prospect Darius Bazley secure a $1 million internship with New Balance after he de-committed from the University of Syracuse.

According to Darren Rovell of ESPN, the NCAA earned over $1 billion dollars during the 2016-2017 season. Forbes released an article detailing 25 college football programs that earn between $60-$148 million in revenue. Not to be outdone, the Duke men’s basketball program has earned an average of $33 million per year.

College coaches are cashing in as well and routinely earn as much or more than their pro counterparts.

University of Alabama’s Nick Saban earned over $11 million in 2018 while Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski pulled in $8.9 million. That’s a lot of money to coach “amateurs”. Consider that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick earns between $10-$12.5 million annually and San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich earns $11 million.

LeBron James has consistently advocated for college athletes to be compensated. He has often pointed out the hypocrisy of the NCAA and knows that had he decided to go to college then everyone would have profited from his play except him.

The NCAA had urged California lawmakers to not pass the bill as a group of college leaders looked to revise the NCAA’s rules for fair compensation. The NCAA has had plenty of time to figure out how to compensate college athletes beyond a scholarship.

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In 2014 former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA over the use of players images, names, and likeness and he won. Since then the debate has only intensified.

Those opposed to compensating college athletes say that it takes away from the purity of the game and removes the focus from higher education. They also argue that while the basketball and football programs earn revenue, many other programs like soccer, golf, and lacrosse don’t have the money to pay athletes. How do you fairly compensate those college athletes?

The truth is men’s basketball and football programs often supply the money needed for a school to have additional sports programs. Maybe these schools need to figure out how to better market the soccer team rather than rely on the football program to pay for it or eliminate some of those other sports.

Howard University eliminated it’s golf program 40 years ago because it didn’t have the resources to pay for it but it will return in 2020-2021 due to a large donation from Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Universities are just like any other corporations. If a division can’t support itself it usually gets eliminated and colleges need to come to that realization.

Lastly, this comes down to an equality issue among who are generating the profits versus who are actually seeing them. In the Power Five conferences “black men make up 55% of football players in those conferences, and 56% of basketball players” according to Jemele Hill of The Atlantic. The NCCA’s own website shows that 67% of Athletic Directors and 65% of head coaches are white males. This is not just a financial issue but a racial one as well.

I believe this is only the beginning of college athletes being allowed to profit off their hard work and talent. Universities and the NCAA have been put on notice.