Glue Guys

Should Athletes Get Equity? - [Glue Guys, EP.36]

Glue Guys

Show Notes

In this episode of Glue Guys, the guys debate whether professional athletes should receive equity in their teams. They explore which athletes truly increase franchise value, how equity might change player motivation, and whether ownership stakes could disrupt team dynamics. The conversation delves into sports economics, comparing the NBA's max salary constraints with European soccer's open market, and examines how superstars like LeBron James and Steph Curry have been historically undervalued.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

-----

This episode is brought to you by Ramp, the financial operation platform that simplifies everything about how businesses spend money and spend their time. You can manage spend approvals, control your expenses, automate your accounting, track your vendor relationships, book your travel and delight your entire workforce with intuitive business software. Ramp enables you to focus all of your attention on what's most important. Get started now and build a more efficient team and a more profitable business, whether you have five employees or 25,000. Go to ramp.com/gg to sign up for free and receive a $250 welcome bonus.

—-

Glue Guys is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Glue Guys, visit https://joincolossus.com/series/glue-guys/.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @GlueGuys_Pod | @JoinColossus

Show Notes:

(00:01:35) The Debate Around Athletes and Equity Compensation(00:04:42) Player Impact Versus Replaceability Across Sports(00:08:32) How Equity Changes Motivation and Performance(00:12:27) Sports Financial Models: European Versus American(00:16:46) Who Benefits From League Optimization?(00:19:51) The Monopoly Power of Major Sports Leagues(00:25:29) Five Factors in Professional Athlete Satisfaction(00:31:03) Free Agent Contracts and Team Chemistry(00:34:14) Why Equity is Motivating(00:37:39) Does Star Player Equity Disrupt Team Dynamics?(00:42:31) Compensation Transparency in Sports Versus Business(00:48:15) Why Unicorn Talent Demands Extraordinary Compensation(00:55:38) Athletes' Weight Management During and After Careers

More from Glue Guys

Oct 13, 2026

After years in professional sports, Alex Smith and Shane Battier thought they understood what it takes to be a great coach. But now, coaching their own kids has given them a whole new appreciation for the job.

Sep 24, 2026

Alex Smith, Shane Battier, and Ravi Gupta share the sayings and pieces of advice they’ve carried with them from some of the most influential coaches, mentors, teammates, and family members in their lives.

Sep 14, 2026

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer joins the Glue Guys to discuss leading one of college basketball’s most iconic programs through a new era.

Aug 21, 2026

The Glue Guys talk about raising kids in a world that looks completely different from the one that prepared them—from NIL and the transfer portal to careers, pressure, money, independence, and uncertainty. Shane reflects on watching his son enter his senior year, Ravi explains why there’s no longer a clear professional path to hand down, and the guys debate what lessons actually still hold up when the old playbook no longer applies.

Jul 29, 2026

Adam Cheyer—the co-founder of Siri, a magician, entrepreneur, and former assistant coach for the Nigerian Olympic basketball team—joins the Glue Guys for one of our most wide-ranging conversations yet.

See all episodes →