The NBA hired an expensive lawyer.

The NBA hired Paul D. Clement to represent it in litigation with its locked-out players.  Mr. Clement has argued more Supreme Court cases since 2000 than any other lawyer.  He made his 54th appearance before the Supreme Court in October and has another argument scheduled for December. 

Mr. Clement typically bills his time in the range of $1,000 per hour, but he has also been known to charge flat fees or limit his fees. For instance, a group of 26 attorneys general hired Clement to represent them in their challenge to Obama's Health Care Reform.  It is reported that he has taken their cases at a reduced hourly rate and capped his fees at $250,000 for each State.  That's $6.75 million for you folks scoring at home.  

Clement also represented the U. S. House of Representatives in defending the controversial Defense of Marriage Act.  Mr. Clement spent a relatively small amount of time on that case because his law firm elected to withdraw shortly after getting into the case following an outpouring of criticism by gay rights advocates.  I can't tell how long he was in the case, but multiple sources online state that he withdrew "almost immediately" after undertaking representation.  Oh ya, and the House of Representatives approved his fee request of $1.5 million.

I wish I could find if he has a cap on his NBA fees, or if he's charging a flat fee.  But as well as he is doing, he's still not making Kobe money.