Regardless, these people are like you and me and they make a paycheck the same as we do(although at a much higher pay level). Eric Gordon might be making more money than some members on the Clippers team, but the Ricky Davis and Marcus Camby's are going to be the ones who take Eric under their wings.
It's just like working a job somewhere. If you have somebody with higher seniority or age telling you how to improve doing something, odds are you are going to listen.