Jalen Rose Says NBA Still Carries “Residue of Slavery”

Former NBA standout Jalen Rose has always been outspoken. 

During a recent appearance on Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ Joe and Jada podcast, Rose noted that the professional basketball world still carries a lingering “residue of slavery,” a comment that has often been mentioned when it comes to Black professional athletes and the white structure of ownership and power dynamics.  

Rose argued that many athletes don’t have control over their own careers, adding that salary restrictions on players entering the league have continued to shape how teams profit from them. 

“The only sports that have salary caps are Black-led,” he begins.

“That’s a residue of slavery because we’re going to get money off of you for multiple years for free,” Rose said. 

Rose spent some 13 years playing in the NBA. He’s been around the game for most of his life and played in over 923 regular season games. During his time in the league Rose played for the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Before entering the league Rose was a part of the Michigan “Fab Five” that gained national attention for their baggy shorts, bald heads and energetic style of play. 

Rose noted on the podcast that he was pleased to see college athletes benefiting from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal that allows college players to leverage their collegiate success for money. 

“So, I’m happy to see players now getting paid off of their name, image, and likeness. But if you notice, you still got to pay the system. Like NFL players, you have to be three years removed from high school to go to the NFL. A lot of people don’t realize that.”

Rose isn’t the first person to come out and openly criticize the NBA for the way they treat players. In February 2025, then with the Golden State Warriors, guard Dennis Schröder described the way that teams can trade players from one team to another without that player’s involvement in the process as “modern day slavery.”

Schröder knows this better than anyone, having entered the NBA in 2013 and having played for the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

See social media’s reaction to Rose comparing the professional sports leagues to slavery below.