NBA Player Net Worth (Past & Present)

[Andrew]

Article: 15 NBA Players’ Bank Accounts You Won’t Believe

I know, I know. Very much a click-bait, BuzzFeed-style article, but they can't all be great journalism. And hey, sometimes you feel like some fast food, as it were.

Anyway, came across it the other day, and given all the stories of players who have thrown away their fortune (in Allen Iverson's case, $40,000 at a time in strip clubs, apparently), I thought it'd be interesting to see the estimated net worth of some players who have been more responsible with their money:

1. Michael Jordan ($1 billion)
2. Magic Johnson ($500 million)
3. Shaquille O'Neal ($350 million)
4. LeBron James ($270 million)
5. Kobe Bryant ($260 million)
6. Hakeem Olajuwon ($200 million)
7. Kevin Garnett ($180 million)
8. Grant Hill ($180 million)
9. Tim Duncan ($130 million)
10. Gary Payton ($130 million)
11. Dirk Nowitzki ($120 million)
12. Yao Ming ($120 million)
13. Dwight Howard ($100 million)
14. Ray Allen ($100 million)
15. Reggie Miller ($90 million)

Michael Jordan was recently verified to be a billionaire, so we know that one at least is accurate. And that's after one of the most expensive divorces in history, too. Money on the court, money off it.

[Mandich]

KG certainly wasted a lot of money. Didn't he earn like 300+ million salary alone ?

But that's craaaazy money these guys have. Makes me wonder how big an idiot you must be to waste all your money and rent-a bling-bling like Iverson did for his jersey retirement.

[Andrew]

Well, that's net worth, so it's taking liabilities into account. KG's earnings probably have been somewhere in that vicinity, but he wouldn't be actually getting that much after taxes.

[benji]

Shaq's higher than that, or at least was a few years ago, he still gets absurd residuals (considering everything...like how long ago it was) from contracts he signed with Orlando. I seem to remember a story putting him in the half billion range. And this was before he bought part of the Kings.

The most amazing thing about Magic? None of it's from the NBA*. Unless you count the lumpsum bonus Jerry Buss paid him as a "consultant" in like 1993 to make up for his retirement and being underpaid for his career.

I have to imagine Yao's is actually much higher than that, considering his China investments.

*EDIT: After looking at the slideshow, they actually mention this.

[shadowgrin]

I have to imagine Yao's is actually much higher than that, considering his China investments.

If it's tax-free it's not counted!