LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are going above and beyond their responsibilities as members of the players union by helping retired NBA players acquire health insurance. Former players did not command the high salaries that are seen in today’s game, but their past efforts are a part of the reason the NBA generates billions in revenue.
Spencer Haywood, who is chairman of the board of directors for the National Basketball Retired Players Association, spoke on the Hoops Hype podcast about how LeBron and company donated over $15 million to help many struggling retired players get health insurance.
“I’d been pushing for health insurance for our players because once the players leave the game, the health insurance is taken away,” Haywood said. “LeBron James, Steph Curry, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant, just to name a few, said hey, we can help you guys out and get you some insurance. They dropped $15 million a year for all of us to have the health insurance they have.”
Taking care of retired players is an issue that affects all sports league, but it is surprising to see the players take the onus to take care of former players. This gesture shows tremendous leadership and really echoes what LeBron, Wade, and KD have said repeatedly, “it’s bigger than basketball.”
Flip the page for audio from the podcast.
