Fournier responded to Key on salary transparency in EuroLeague: “I think a big part of it is cultural”

By Stefan Acevski / info@eurohoops.net

New Fenerbahce player Braxton Key started a very interesting discussion on platform X on Thursday, concerning salary transparency in the EuroLeague.

Key is advocating for salaries to become public so that everyone in Europe, from players to fans, knows how much each person earns in the top European competition.

The forward opened an intriguing debate and received a response from Evan Fournier.

The Olympiacos player said that he agrees with Key’s main point, but that in Europe it is much more taboo to talk about money than in the USA.

“I think a big part of it is cultural. Americans tend to be much more open about salaries and money in general, while in Europe it’s traditionally seen as something much more private. The relationship with money and talking about it publicly is just different.

For example talking about money in France is pretty taboo. That being said, you make a very fair point about the market. More transparency would give players a much clearer picture of their actual value. It’s hard to know your true worth when you don’t really know what the market is paying.”

Braxton Key message

“I’ve always wondered why EuroLeague salaries aren’t public. Not because the fans need to know how much is in someone’s bank account, but because salary is a part of the context of professional basketball.

If a player is making 500K and playing like a 1.5M player or greater, fans should know that. That should be celebrated! If someone is making 2M and struggling, fans should have that context too. For players, I think it matters even more. Especially in a league without a traditional hard salary cap, each team has their own budget and the actual market can be difficult to gauge.

If Player X averages less stats than me but makes twice as much, why should I accept half the money because I’m told “that’s your market value”? You can’t negotiate your value if you don’t know the market. On the same hand, the transparency could be great for the league.

Salaries create conversations, debates, and storylines. More conversations creates more engagement, which equals more value for the league. Put the numbers out there. Players, coaches, everyone. Give the fans more context, give the players more information, and give the EuroLeague another way to grow its product.”