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Kobe believes star players are underpaid, says he took a 'pay cut' with Lakers

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

It's certainly a bold stance to take for a player who has earned nearly $280 million over his basketball career, but Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant believes that he and other superstars are underpaid.

The quotes comes via Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard, who wrote a must-read long-form article on Bryant.

The note about pay cuts is somewhat contentious, as Bryant is owed nearly $50 million over the next two seasons, of which would be Bryant's 19th and 20th. The 16-time All Star missed most of last season with an Achilles' injury.

Then again, Bryant does have a point. Due to the salary cap structure of the league, many superstars are limited in what they could earn by maximum contract stipulations. 

A player like Bryant's long-time teammate Derek Fisher, for example, could always be paid something comparable to his production, as Fisher never came close to producing at a maximum contract level. But in seasons where Bryant averaged 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game (as he did in 2005-06), his earnings from the Lakers was restricted to just under $16 million. 

Aside from his on-court production, there's something to be said for Bryant's impact in the appeal for both the Lakers and the NBA brand as a whole. Although superstars like Bryant regularly earn in excess of $20 million per season, their value still outweighs their paychecks. 

[H/T Pro Basketball Talk]

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