December 21, 2005

"Honestly? I can't say I ever spend $100 a day,": said Jazz guard Devin Brown, who bragged that his December per diem funded 30 new DVDs for his collection. "Most guys probably end up pocketing about half of it." The Salt Lake Tribune takes a look at the CBA demanded $102 per diem that basketball players get while they're on the road. An interesting glimpse into the everyday life of an NBA player. (via truehoop)

posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 04:36 PM - 14 comments

I can feed my family of 4 for a week on $102. I can't imagine going out and just eating in restaurants and having people wait on me all the time (begins to daydream....). Oh well back to reality and dishes after dinner.

posted by skydivemom at 04:57 PM on December 21, 2005

Fixed...I think.

posted by justgary at 04:59 PM on December 21, 2005

"I can feed my family of 4 for a week on $102" Your kids must be smaller than mine.

posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:01 PM on December 21, 2005

It is pennies in the big picture. Taxable income too. Try to wrap your head around the idea of paying California state income tax if you are a Portland Trailblazer, (where there is no state income tax), just because you work in California x number of days a year. Now multiply that.

posted by geekyguy at 11:32 PM on December 21, 2005

skydivemom, you are obviously not married to Latrell Sprewell.

posted by chicobangs at 12:03 AM on December 22, 2005

$100 dollars a day is not really all that much on the road. When I was a traveling computer installer mine was $50 per day for food and many times, depending where I was, I was pushing it. If you're somewhere in Iowa it's no big deal, but if you're doing business in Manhatten, you'll spend that easy. Not that I really cared cus it all went on the company expense account anyway.

posted by commander cody at 02:24 AM on December 22, 2005

Considering the last time I was on per diem was when I was in the military, I'd say $100 a day is absolute paradise. Haven't you people ever heard of a value menu?

posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:26 AM on December 22, 2005

$100 bucks would buy lots of jr. bacon cheeseburgers and medium frosties.

posted by Bill Lumbergh at 07:30 AM on December 22, 2005

I'm right there with you Bill. Wendy's value menu - it's where 4 burgers cost less than $5.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:28 AM on December 22, 2005

When I played In the minor leagues {baseball},in "77 &"78,I got $835 net per month and $105 in cash every sunday.{$15 per diem}Although that was a long time ago,and one would expect that it should go up in money,be aware that we were told that the per diem was allowence for lunch,the only meal that the team didn't provide.If the team provides breakfast and lunch,then $102 is a pretty f**kin' good lunch.

posted by Tubby Fan at 10:53 AM on December 22, 2005

Why even talk about money and professional (entertainers) athletes as it compares with us? They live in a different world. I doubt these guys are going to 5-star restaurants for every meal, so $100 meal money is ridiculous. It would be just plain dumb to think they could ever scrape together enough money for meals from their paltry paychecks. The funny thing is, as the story mentions, there's food all over the place for the taking for athletes in their locker rooms/clubhouses, etc. It's like when the NBA instituted their dress code, some players insisted the league should give them a stipend for clothing. Sure, why not?

posted by dyams at 11:46 AM on December 22, 2005

Ah memories. I got $50-60 a week (Australian) for playing football (soccer) many years ago, when one pacific peso was worth the same as a US dollar and I was a poor student. By the time I took out car and fuel costs in getting to training I was back in the amateur ranks.

posted by owlhouse at 02:10 PM on December 22, 2005

This is no more ludicrous than government contractors' per diem (US gov't, at least). My Dad gets $130 per diem as a retired contractor for the DOD.

"just because you work in California x number of days a year. Now multiply that."

My payroll/income tax knowledge is shoddy, at best, but isn't there a threshhold on the number of working days (or maybe even hours) you must work in a state for your income to be taxed in that particular state? Are professional athletes any different (in this regard) than, say, the manager of a multi-state project working in Nevada, California, and Washington?

posted by redsnare at 03:08 PM on December 22, 2005

I find this giving of money to young black men simply scandalous. They'll probably just waste it on the "bling bling" and absurdly large combs!

posted by drjimmy11 at 06:31 PM on December 22, 2005

You're not logged in. Please log in or register.