Norman Powell was a two-sport athlete coming out of high school, and UCLA’s coaches wanted him on the football team as well as the basketball team. He said “no,” and years later, he explained exactly why.
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“At UCLA, the coaches wanted me to try out for the team,” he explained via NBA Courtside on X. “But I’m cool with all the… The money’s not great because it’s not fully guaranteed. The health insurance isn’t that great. Because I don’t rock with how they don’t take care of their players.
“You know, all the CTE stuff. Sweeping it under the rug and stuff like that. So, yeah. I don’t mess with the whole industry around football. Even though I love watching it, like I don’t like how they treat the players.”
It’s not a passing comment from someone with no frame of reference. Norman Powell grew up playing both sports and had an opportunity to try out for UCLA’s football team before committing fully to basketball. Entering his 12th NBA season, he is now reflecting on that decision from the other side of a long professional career.
Powell just wrapped up the best stretch of his career. He’s averaged over 21 points per game in each of the last two seasons, capped off by his first All-Star selection in 2025-26 with the Miami Heat. That run is exactly why the Bulls moved to sign him this offseason, agreeing to a reported two-year, $45 million contract that brings him to a Chicago backcourt that includes Josh Giddey.
It’s also a contrast Norman Powell’s comments point to directly. NBA salaries are more commonly guaranteed than NFL salaries, though guarantee structures vary by contract. In the NFL, guarantees are negotiated and teams can often avoid paying non-guaranteed future salary after releasing a player.
The CTE piece of Powell’s comments touches an even bigger nerve. The NFL has faced lawsuits and years of scrutiny over how it disclosed the risks of repeated head trauma to players, and concussion-related health issues remain one of the most persistent storylines around the sport.
Norman Powell is not the first athlete to raise CTE-related concerns, but the comments carry added context because UCLA football coaches once wanted him to try out. He said his problem is with the way football players are treated, even though he still enjoys watching the game.
None of it stops him from watching. Powell was clear that his issue is with how the sport is run, not the game itself. And at 33, with a fresh All-Star nod and a new deal in Chicago, it’s not hard to see why he feels good about the road he picked.