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If the real contradiction for the owners lies in the uneven development between large and small markets, with large markets becoming increasingly wealthy and having the capital to surpass the luxury tax threshold, thereby achieving both market profits and championships and leading to long-term imbalances in the NBA, then what is the contradiction within the players' camp?
The answer is clear.
It is the unequal status between star players and those on minimum salaries.
This is a secret that can't be spoken, as the players' union was established with the mission to advocate on behalf of the players.
The players' union was needed at its inception—during Bob Cousy's era, when the NBA was just an average professional league, and professional players couldn't support a family on their basketball income alone, so many star players had other part-time jobs during the offseason.