Basketball is one of the most played sports in the world, drawing the attention of hobbyists to Olympic-grade athletes. Pro-Am allows fans and competitors to see the professional level up close while giving more skilled players a chance to make a living from their passion.
Pro-Am basketball players make anywhere from $0 to $30,000. Most of Pro-Am’s paid opps come from tournament prize pools, but some more popular leagues offer a salary. However, on average, the appeal of these leagues is the exposure and the chance to play with professional-level talent.
The rest of this article will explain a few topics related to this article in greater detail, including what pro-am is, how players get paid, and why pro-am is important.
What Is Pro-Am Basketball
Pro-Am, or professional amateur, refers to a semi-professional sports level where professionals and amateurs compete against and with each other. It’s most prevalent for sports like golf, but basketball has multiple Pro-Am options.
For basketball, local fans and competitors get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see NBA-grade talent up close and personal.
Pro-ams usually occur in tournaments, but there are also league-based formats, and they come in various team structures. Some Pro-Am has a solid mix of professional and amateur players on the same team.
Other formats have a team led by a single professional player whose job is to critique the performance of each amateur player and provide insight that allows them to reach a higher level of play. In this pro-am style, professional players are still allowed to play.
Sometimes these players fit in as coaches or instructors and, as a result, won’t play in games.
The last and most common league-based format features teams full of amateur players who compete against each other. Most of these games don’t have professional players but keep posts open so they can make guest appearances for different teams and matches.
It’s important to note that Pro AM games typically have different rules than professional play.
These differences include changes to game length, number of teammates/coaches, or even how you win the match. You must thoroughly research the specific rulings before entering a pro-am environment.
Changes to rules can benefit pros and spectators, as fans can see players they know and love in a new environment. Players can experience the game in new and unique ways, even showing off skills they typically don’t get the chance to.
Factors That Affect Pay
Generally, Pro-Am players don’t receive compensation. Often, their reward is getting to experience a level of play that would usually be impossible. However, some leagues and most tournaments offer payment, but the amount is influenced by several factors, including the league/tournament, chosen team, and player skill.
League/Tournament
The most crucial factor for determining how much Pro-Am participants get paid is what league or tournament they play in. Tournaments feature some form of payout, but it’s more uncommon for leagues.
However, ultimately prize pool or salary is set but the event’s popularity.
Big-name tournaments like TBT (The Basketball Tournament) offer huge rewards, offering a $1 million payout to each year’s winner. This event is single elimination and allows anyone to enter. Its participants typically include retired NBA vets, international professionals, and budding stars from the college scene.
Although paying Pro-Am leagues are rare, they do exist. One of the most well-known examples is the Drew League, a summer pro-am league based in Los Angeles that started in 1973.
Since its debut, it has become increasingly popular. Their participants are typically high school stars and college and international professional players. Teams often feature the NBA’s top talent, such as Lebron James and Demar Derozan.
The Drew League stands out for not only its talent but its payment structure as well. This league is one of the few to offer players a salary, ranging from $13,000 to about $25,000 per year, giving competitors a rare opportunity to live off of playing basketball.
Some new budding Pro-Am leagues offer six figures to their players, even though this is highly uncommon.
Chosen Team
The team you play for can also influence how much a player can make. Some teams, or players on the team, have enough brand notoriety to receive various sponsors, allowing these teams to pay their players.
Typically, these sponsors pay for necessities, including uniforms or travel costs, but sometimes, they pay the team or players directly.
Player Skill
The last important factor that influences player payment is their skill. Just like teams can receive sponsorships, sometimes individual players have the popularity to receive their own endorsements.
For tournaments, the payout is typically reserved for the winners and sometimes runner-ups, meaning you won’t get paid if you lack enough skill to win. For salary-based leagues, their payment is often split into tiers separated by skill. For example, The Drew League’s compensation has 3 tiers (A, B, C).
The A players are paid the highest level, making about $25,000 annually. The second level, or B, is paid about $19,000, while the last group, or C, players are paid about $13,000.
Importance of Pro-Am
Pro-am is vital for the community, as the leagues and tournaments are often free or low-cost for spectators. It allows fans to see their favorite players in action, even if they can’t afford NBA ticket prices.
Competitors get rare opportunities to test their skills against the best to see how they match up or learn something new to improve their craft. For pros, this is a great chance to play the game differently or even prove their caliber of skill to fans.
Conclusion
Pro-am is a semi-professional environment where amateurs and professional players can face off. Basketball players make different amounts of money based on the following:
- The league/tournament
- Their personal skills
- The team they join
However, in most cases, their payment is a level of competition and exposure. If you think you have what it takes to join a league, why not join one?