On a podcast called “Off Guard” with The Ringer, Rivers called Lillard one of the most difficult players he’s ever faced. However, Rivers doesn’t like a player demanding a transfer to a particular team. In Damian Lillard’s case it was the Miami Heat, and in James Harden’s case it was the Los Angeles Clippers.
The player born in 1992 proved very straightforward when talking about this issue, saying it harms the whole tournament. He shared:
“No matter how good a player you are, playing in the NBA is a privilege. If you’re a free agent, you can choose to go anywhere, it’s a matter of business calculation. But if you’re not a free agent and still under contract, you’re part of the deal. No matter how much you are transferred, you still have to accept it.”
This is not the first time in history this has happened. Kareem Abudul-Jabbar was forced to leave Milwaukee for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. It’s not a new thing, but it seems that in the age of social media the power of players increased and it became more popular.
Teams may exchange a contracted player who, against his will, goes wherever the team wants at any time. Does it mean that men in shiny suits can treat the player like an object but the player has no way to resist that or just take advantage of the opportunity they have? If teams don’t have to be “loyal” to players – it’s all about business – then why ask players to do the same?
This is the story of negotiating advantage. Only a few superstars make such a claim. Ordinary players like Rivers, who is also a free agent before the NBA 2023/24 season, would never dare to do this. It seems that this is the age of superstars rather than the age of players in general.
Many fans will read and agree with what Rivers has to say, but their actions say otherwise. There is nothing around the NBA that captures the interest of fans more than transfers, and especially the transfers of stars. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is a tournament that relies on transfers to “catch” interaction. Fans say they hate players asking for a transfer, but it’s not by chance that every media outlet is detailing Harden and Lillard’s future. Simply their readers care.
Americans are like that. It’s normal to see them say they hate something but then watch every minute of it with passionate attention.