Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
The Las Vegas Raiders decided to reward Maxx Crosby for his play last season by giving him a $6 million raise for the 2024 season, per a May 23 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Crosby has three seasons left on his contract so they didn’t need to give him more money, but there’s no questioning that he earned the money.
Plus, this helps avoid having a potential headache in the near future if Crosby doesn’t feel like he was paid enough. The star defensive end isn’t the type of player who wants to bounce around the league. He recently took a shot at players like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for not sticking around and winning with one team.
“The guys who inspire me are the Kobes and the Jordans; the guys that stayed at the same place and won in the same place,” Crosby said on the June 7 episode of “The Jim Rome Show.” “No offense to the guys like LeBron and those dudes — I won’t give them some heat but they took the easier road traveled and that’s not the way I look at it.
“Going through the ups and downs and the hardships is going to make it that much sweeter when I do win a Super Bowl. So I plan on being here for a very long time and I plan on winning here.”
It sounds like Crosby wants to spend the rest of his career in Las Vegas and be a part of the turnaround that sees the team become a consistent winner.
“No offense to LeBron and those dudes. I won’t give them some heat, but took the easy road traveled. That’s not the way I look at it…I’m going to be a Raider for life.”
@CrosbyMaxx on loyalty to the Raiders organization.
Maxx Crosby Is Not ‘a Big LeBron Guy’
Though Crosby’s larger point was about loyalty, it’s notable that he specifically mentioned James as a player who “took the easier road.” Crosby is a huge NBA fan but hasn’t been shy about his love for Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He’s previously made it clear that he’s not much of a fan of the current Lakers star.
“I respect greatness, he’s a great player, but I’m not a big LeBron guy,” Crosby told Heavy Sports in February. “I’m not like a follower of LeBron.”
James is one of the best basketball players ever and many argue that he’s the greatest ever. Crosby doesn’t appear to be somebody who would make that argument.
How Close Are Las Vegas Raiders to Winning a Super Bowl?
Crosby clearly thinks the Raiders can eventually be a Super Bowl team in the future. However, it’s likely going to take some time. The biggest hurdle the team has right now is that they don’t have a franchise quarterback. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are short-term solutions for a long-term problem.
Until the Raiders can get a good quarterback, it’s hard to see them realistically competing for a Super Bowl. Now, the team may be a playoff team in 2024. They went 8-9 last season and the roster is in a better place now. It’s possible to see this team winning 10 games and getting one of the wild card spots. Going forward, the biggest focus needs to be on finding a long-term quarterback. Until that happens, it’s going to be very difficult to call them contenders.