NBA legend LeBron James (left) and former NFL star Shannon Sharpe (right) stand with the American flag
NBA (DR) / Cam Newton (DR)

As in every edition of the Olympic Games, the United States is among the nations with one of the highest medal totals.

However, an influential NBA personality has expressed his anger after learning of the bonuses received by the Americans.

In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, the United States finished first in the medal standings, winning 113 medals, including 39 gold.

And it goes without saying that their athletes intend to achieve a similar performance this summer in France.

Starting with the basketball team, which will try to reach the top step of the podium for the fifth consecutive time.

But while the American NBA stars are once again the favorites in the tournament, it’s not necessarily the amount of money they’ll receive if they win that’s motivating them.

In fact, they’ll “only” get $37,000 if they win the gold medal, which is much less than many nations. Shannon Sharpe recently spoke out about the subject on his Nightcap Show .

Shannon Sharpe’s anger over US athletes’ Olympic bonuses

Shannon Sharpe: We should at least get $200,000 for every gold medal we win! Noah Lyles, if you win gold in the 100m, Chad Johnson and I will each give you $25,000.

So will you, Sha’Carri Richardson, and you, Ryan Bailey. Noah Lyles trained for 4 years to run the 100m in 9 seconds, he deserves more than $37,000!

I will pay $100,000 out of my own pocket to any American athlete who breaks a world record, regardless of the discipline.

Fellow NFL legend Chad Johnson also voiced his displeasure during this sequence:

Chad Johnson: Sometimes you need a little extra motivation. But only $37,000!?

You work your ass off for 4 years straight to represent your country, and what you get in return is, “Thanks for your hard work, here’s $37,000”?! That’s crazy!

A very clear opinion shared by many American Internet users, surprised by the graphic comparison between the United States and the other countries involved in the Olympic Games:

The Americans may be the big favorites to win the most gold medals at the Paris Olympics, but they are far from being the best paid for it. An angry Shannon Sharpe has promised to almost triple that amount.