From the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat to the Boston Celtics or San Antonio Spurs, professional basketball has quickly become an international sensation as fans follow their favorite teams and players. Because of this, basketball stars have found their way into the spotlight, earning celebrity status and even bigger paychecks as they are marketed around the world for their incredible talent on the court and as spokesmen for their favorite products off the court.
#10 – Tim Duncan ($130 Million)
He shoots! He scores! Today, it’s pretty rare for an NBA player to spend their entire career with one team but, that’s exactly what Tim Duncan has done with the San Antonio Spurs. First beginning his athletic career as a swimmer, Duncan only took up basketball after Hurricane Hugo destroyed the only Olympic sized pool in his hometown of St. Croix. Obviously a good shot, Duncan had a standout high school basketball career and went on to attend Wake Forest University where he proved his character and ability both on and off the court.
Drafted as the Spurs’ first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan made a quick impact and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Since then, he’s been named to 15 All-Star Games and has helped his team to win five NBA Championships while racking up two MVP Awards of his own. Great talent brings great reward and the NBA has kept their promise, paying Duncan $10.3 million last year alone when he exercised his contract option. During his early career, he was averaging $20 million per year, proving that loyalty really does pay off when it comes to the NBA.
#9 – Gary Payton ($130 Million)
D-E-F-E-N-S-E! Nicknamed “The Glove” for his wicked defensive skills on the court, Gary Payton spent 13 years as the point guard for the Seattle SuperSonics, a team known today as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Widely considered the best player in the history of the team, Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft out of Oregon State where he had an incredible college basketball career.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, the nine-time NBA All-Star made most of his fortune while he was playing with the SuperSonics in addition to his numerous endorsement deals. Payton’s biggest paycheck, however, occurred just six years into his professional career when the SuperSonics signed him to a seven-year contract worth an astounding $80 million. By 2006, the NBA’s highest scoring point guard was earning a cool $1 million per year. Today, Payton continues to bring in the big bucks off the court as an analyst with Fox Sports 1.
#8 – Grant Hill ($180 Million)
It’s all in the genes! With his father, Calvin Hill, a retired NFL Pro Bowl running back with the Dallas Cowboys, few were surprised when Grant Hill grew up to be a star athlete in the NBA. After an incredible high school career, Hill was a highly touted prospect who chose Duke University as his home for the next four years where he quickly became one of the best college players of all time.
Drafted third overall in 1994 by the Detroit Pistons, Hill had a long and productive career despite various injuries. He was named to seven All-Star Games and earned $140 million from various contracts playing with the Pistons as well as with the Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. With another $80 million in endorsement deals including FILA and McDonald’s, the newly inducted College Basketball Hall of Fame member is truly one of the NBA’s greats.
#7 – Kevin Garnett ($190 Million)
From a high school gymnasium all the way to the NBA, Kevin Garnett was the first NBA player in 20 years who was drafted straight out of high school when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected him fifth overall in the 1995 Draft. Playing with the Timberwolves for over a decade, Garnett went on to play with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets before returning once again to the Timberwolves in 2015.
The MVP Award winner and record holder has been named to 15 All-Star Games and won the 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics, the team’s first championship in 22 years. With even a gold medal from the 2000 Summer Olympics, Garnett has earned an estimated $315 million (and counting) over the course of his career making him among the highest earning players of all time, a pretty good record to have if you ask us!
#6 – Hakeem Olajuwon ($200 Million)
Towering at nearly seven feet tall, Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon was born and raised in Nigeria but made his way to the United States to play for the University of Houston. With four trips to the Final Four with the Cougars, Olajuwon was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets in 1984 where he spent the next 17 years. Two NBA titles and two MVP Awards later, Olajuwon finished his career with the Toronto Raptors until his retirement in 2002.
Easily one of Houston’s most beloved players, Olajuwon is considered the best center of all time and is also one of the wealthiest. Though he earned much of his fortune during his professional career and through endorsement deals with brands like L.A. Gear and Spalding, his post-NBA venture into real estate proved to be even more profitable. Clearly a smart businessman, Olajuwon runs his real estate business on cash-only purchases, which makes the $16.7 million he earned from the Rockets seem like mere chump change!
#5 – Kobe Bryant ($280 Million)
With only three active NBA players on the list, it’s no surprise that Kobe Bryant made it in the top five. Drafted straight out of high school as the 13th overall pick in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, Bryant was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he’s called “home” ever since. Named to an astonishing 17 All Star Games, Bryant won an MVP Award in 2008 and has been part of five championship teams so far in his career with no signs of slowing down.
From his impressive contracts with the Lakers to being one of the most marketable players in the industry thanks to numerous endorsement deals, Bryant is sitting on a mountain of wealth. In 2014 and 2015 alone, Bryant earned $57 million in endorsements and another $56 million in salary from the Lakers. Not even a sexual assault scandal in 2003 could dampen Bryant’s climb to the top. After all, don’t they always say, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”?
#4 – LeBron James ($300 Million)
Everyone wants to be like LeBron! The final active player on our list is also the youngest as 30-year old LeBron James has made basketball history as an NBA superstar. Hailing from Akron, Ohio, James was drafted straight out of high school as the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a stunning seven-year career as the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer, James stirred up controversy when he left the team to join the Miami Heat in 2010.
With two NBA Championships in Miami, James is now a four-time MVP and an 11-time All-Star who will undoubtedly go down in NBA history as one of the greatest. Along with his incredible wins, “King” James also has a ridiculous amount of endorsements, more than just about any other athlete in the world. In 2014, James made $30 million simply from holding one percent of Beats Audio, whose sale to Apple for $3 billion deepened his pockets quite nicely. As of November 2015, James has already earned an astonishing $44 million from his endorsements, which doesn’t even count his salary with the Heat. No wonder everyone wants to be just like LeBron!
#3 – Shaquille O’Neal ($350 Million)
Bigger than basketball and bigger than life, NBA “Superman” Shaquille O’Neal rocked the world of the NBA long before LeBron and Kobe. Standing at over seven feet tall, O’Neal was drafted first overall from Louisiana State University to the Orlando Magic in 1992. From there, he signed huge contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics until his retirement in 2011.
With an impressive 19-year career, “Shaq” won four NBA Championships and was named to 15 All-Star Games, racking up an incredible 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game to be considered the best center in basketball history. From his impressive professional career on the court to his stints as an actor, rapper and reality show personality, O’Neal is still bringing in big bucks with his endorsement deals and as part of TNT’s Inside the NBA. Pulling in over $20 million per year while on the court, it’s obvious (and fitting) that everything Shaq does is larger than life!
#2 – Magic Johnson ($500 Million)
Earvin who? Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a standout basketball player at Michigan State where a championship title with the Spartans secured his spot as the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft. As one of the most famous point guards in NBA history, Johnson spent 13 seasons with the Lakers where he won five NBA Championships, three MVP awards and was named as a member of the “Dream Team” who won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Spending an entire career with the Lakers obviously earned Johnson a nice chunk of change, but most of his wealth has come from his post-NBA business ventures. With partnerships in many different companies like Starbucks and 24 Hour Fitness, Johnson has proven to be an incredibly savvy businessman when it comes to real estate as well. Padding his net worth with a variety of investments, Johnson is also part owner of the MLB team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, proving he can make magic on the diamond as well as on court.
#1 – Michael Jordan ($1 Billion)
Considered by many as the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan is also the richest player of all-time with an impressive $1 billion net worth. First drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, “Air Jordan” won six NBA Championships in the Windy City before returning from retirement to play with the Washington Wizards in 2001. A five-time MVP and 10-time scoring champion averaging 30.1 points and 6.2 rebounds throughout his career, Jordan is also considered one of the best defensive players in basketball.
Not only did MJ have the highest valued contracts during his professional career, his endorsement deals have outweighed any other player in NBA history and span brands like Coca-Cola and Gatorade to Hanes and Wheaties. With his own successful brand of shoes with Nike, Jordan also owns the Charlotte Hornets after increasing his stake to 89 percent in 2014, making him the first billionaire athlete in NBA history. Thankfully, Jordan isn’t going anywhere anytime soon as Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion (and growing) in November 2015.
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