Rich Paul Explains Why Stephen Curry Should Get A Profit Share And Stock Options With Warriors

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is among the most popular figures in the sporting world today. While he is primarily known for his exploits on the basketball court, there is no denying the impact he has had on the Warriors behind the scenes.

Stephen Curry’s gradual rise to superstar status has been vital to the Warriors’ growth as a franchise. With Curry’s “brand” drawing in more fan support and driving more revenue, Golden State has benefited greatly from him donning the jersey. But should he be rewarded for this?

In some ways, Golden State’s commitment to paying him a large contract could be viewed as a reward. But according to Rich Paul, the superstar guard deserves more. During an episode of the “Game Over” podcast, Paul explained why Stephen Curry was worthy of a profit-share deal and stock options with Golden State, stating:

“You know, in Fortune 500 or Fortune 100 companies, and you are an executive at a specific level, you get stock and things like that, and that’s able to grow and compound over time… You [players] cannot invest in a team, but they do have a direct correlation to a team’s compounding in terms of value… All players aren’t created equal in this situation. But in someone like Steph’s case, he definitely moves the needle when it pertains to the value of an organization.”

Co-host Max Kellerman was quick to interject by highlighting Stephen Curry’s impact on the NBA’s value as a brand more so than the Warriors, but Paul continued:

“From his pre-game warm-up routine, which has value, all the way to his production, to his play on the floor night in and night out. And then, when you add on factors like his showmanship, his professionalism, and things of that nature, absolutely.”

“If this were corporate America, if they were putting together a package together for Steph Curry, he would get his salary, he would get a major bonus; in some cases, he might get a profit share, and he probably would get certain stock options that vest over time.”

Rich Paul drew comparisons with the NBA’s richest owner, Steve Ballmer. As someone who made his money as the former CEO of Microsoft, Ballmer saved his stock and continues to make enough money on it to purchase a franchise. Hence, from a corporate perspective, there is no reason a similar system shouldn’t exist in the NBA.

“It’s unfortunate in terms of the idea that, ‘Oh, these guys make a lot of money anyway, so they shouldn’t complain or they shouldn’t care,’ and so on and so forth,” Paul added. “I’m not going to say they’re smarter now, because I would never call past eras not smart. I just think that there’s a lot more information available, and there’s a different understanding of how business actually works today, and so the athlete is starting to think differently.”

As Paul mentioned, the approach toward business in sports has changed dramatically over the years, with players like Magic Johnson effectively establishing the template for modern athletes to maximize their returns. In Stephen Curry’s case, a large $136.7 million extension seems justified, but it may not be enough when considering his true value to the Warriors.

When Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber purchased the franchise in 2010, the Golden State Warriors were worth roughly $450 million. Now, nearly 16 years later, the Warriors are one of the biggest names in global sports, worth approximately $10-$11 billion, much of which can be attributed to Stephen Curry’s star power.

For all intents and purposes, Rich Paul isn’t the first person to say Stephen Curry should be rewarded with stock options in the Warriors, since Kevin Durant also stated the guard should be gifted an ownership stake. Since this is a recurring trend, one can only hope the Warriors appropriately compensate their franchise player once he decides to walk away from the game.