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Celtics payroll: then and now - brace yourselves

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 In the Boston Celtics Championship 1985-86 season, their payroll amounted to $6,560,000.00. In today's money, that comes to $23,353,000.00 - quite far from the projected, record-breaking $500 million attached to the Celtics 2025-26 season (includes luxury tax, etc.). 


Larry Bird earned the most money on the Celtics that season - a "whopping" $1.8 million - or $6.4 million in today's money. Compare that to Jaylen Brown's present earnings for the 2024-25 season ($49.2 million).

Overkill? Excess? Yes, possibly both. Inflation and the popularity and success of the NBA has driven everything connected to the League sky-high - ticket prices, player salaries, TD Garden beers, etc. Where (and how) does it end. 

I have followed the NBA since 1960, and I admit to liking today's game as much-or-more than past decades. But this financial trend can not continue without some negative repercussions. 

In 1979, Bird - after lengthy negotiations - earned $650,000.00 for his rookie season - a record at the time. He later stated that he would have played for Red Auerbach for nothing, and he meant it. Those days are gone!

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