Former NBA star Jalen Rose is criticizing what he calls the “residue of slavery” in predominantly Black sports like football and basketball, pointing to salary caps and other league rules he believes are designed to keep players under control.
The current analyst recently appeared on a live taping of the Joe and Jada Unfiltered podcast, where Rose argued that leagues like the National Basketball Association and the National Football League impose restrictions on players that aren’t seen in other sports with fewer Black athletes.
“The only sports that
have salary caps are Black-led first off. So that’s basketball and football,” Rose declared. “Those are the only sports with salary caps. Baseball, golf, NASCAR, tennis, you can keep naming. They do not have a salary cap. That’s the first thing. The second thing is they have no after-high school restriction.“And so that’s a residue of slavery, because we’re gonna get money off of you for multiple years for free.”
Rose’s remarks build on a long-running debate about racial dynamics in the National Basketball Association. Critics often point out that while roughly 70% of players are Black, the vast majority of team owners are white, with nonwhite majority owners making up only a small share of the league.
The discussion also extends to league rules such as the NBA’s age requirement, which prevents players from entering the league directly out of high school. Prospects must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school graduation, leading many to spend a year in college where, until recent NIL reforms, they were unable to earn compensation despite generating billions for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Rose argues that the shift allowing college athletes to profit from NIL deals came only after the rise of social media, which made players and fans more aware of how young athletes could be exploited.
His comments sparked debate among sports fans, with some pointing to the National Hockey League, a predominantly white sport that also has salary caps, arguing that Rose didn’t have all the facts straight.
“More accurate title is “Jalen Rose FORGETS the NHL has a salary cap,” one viewer wrote.
“Individual sports don’t have caps… only team sport that doesn’t is the MLB right? I believe the reasoning is to give small market teams a chance otherwise the big markets would just buy the best players…” added another.
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