Antonio Gates, tight end for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday disagreed with LeBron James' remarks on NFL owners having "slave mentality."
"I don't know all the owners – I know my owner. And, my relationship with my owner has been phenomenal. And, it's sports. You know what I mean? You get paid to play…We all know what we sign up for," said Gates in an interview with TMZ Sports.
On December 21, on an episode of HBO's "The Shop," James talked about the difference between NFL and NBA. “The difference between the NBA and the NFL, the NBA is what we believe he [a player] can be. The potential,” James said. "In the NFL, they got a bunch of old white men owning teams and they got that slave mentality."
LeBron James has used his platform as a basketball player to bring up social issues. /VCG Photo
Gates admitted that he hoped one day the NFL would offer players guaranteed contracts like what the NBA does, but remained supportive of the league. "A lot of us make a really good living, man, being able to support our families at the same time. So, it is what it is," said Gates.
According to Spotrac, 38-year-old Gates in his 16-year career has earned nearly 71 million U.S. dollars in total. By contrast, James made almost 270 million dollars since he entered NBA in 2003. His contract with the Lakers was for four years and worth 154 million dollars.
Philip Rivers #17 and Antonio Gates #85 of the Los Angeles Chargers chat on the sideline. /VCG Photo
Gates holds the record for the most touchdowns for a tight end with 116 and is a part of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. The Chargers are currently ranked fifth in the American Football Conference (AFC) with 11 wins and four losses.