Exploring Top 10 Richest NBA Players Of All Time
The Top 10 Richest NBA Players in History
In the sports world, one of the most well-known leagues is the NBA. The league is a profitable market for investors, brands, and advertising and is the top basketball competition. This might be attributed to the exceptional skill in the NBA as well as the presence of several illustrious teams.
The NBA is able to generate enormous profits every year as a result. In fact, the league made an incredible $10.58 billion in revenue the previous season, according to some accounts. It’s not shocking to learn that the league has produced a number of players who have amassed significant wealth throughout the years given how wealthy it is.
Whether it’s because of the salaries they earn on the court or because of their astute business choices off it. Some of the wealthiest athletes in sports history have come from the NBA. However, who are the wealthiest NBA players of all time?
1. Micheal Jordan
Net Worth- $3 billion
Michael Jordan, who is regarded by many as the best player of all time, is the perfect example of a sportsman who achieved success outside of the game. Aside from his basketball career, Jordan’s multiple interests and endorsements have contributed to his $3 billion net worth.
With a net worth that puts him at the top of the sports industry for athletes overall, not just in NBA history.
He made $90 million playing basketball with the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards over his 14-year career. But some of his riches was derived from his endorsements. He collaborated with companies like Chevrolet, Gatorade, Hanes, and McDonald’s.
But without a question, his Nike endorsement was the most profitable one. He inked one of the most famous contracts in sports history, which allowed him to profit from the sale of every shoe bearing the Air Jordan logo. As a result, he made around $2.4 billion before taxes, which he invested in businesses like Draft Kings and used to buy a share in a NASCAR franchise.
His net worth has only increased since he sold the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion, which was his primary ownership.
2. LeBron James
Net Worth- $1 billion
LeBron James is the richest player in the NBA right now and the second-most active player on this list. Just two NBA players are regarded as billionaires, including The King, who has an enormous $1 billion net worth.
LeBron, who is in his 21st season in the NBA, has made $479,466,457 in his career. This added to his many business endeavors and endorsements, which helped make him a billionaire.
Aside from his lifetime contract with Nike, King James’s holdings are varied. He has made significant investments in several industries. Whether it’s Blaze Pizza’s fast food business or Lobos, his own alcoholic beverage.
LeBron has even experimented with investing in sports in the past. He once owned shares in the Fenway Sports Group, the owner of Liverpool FC. He also owns SpringHill firm, his own production firm.
3. Magic Johnson
Net Worth- $800 million
Magic Johnson, ranked third, is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. Johnson, who is valued at $800 million, is seen by many as the embodiment of the ideal athlete who goes on to become a prosperous businessman.
Johnson, a Hall of Famer, had one of the most unique NBA contracts. After playing in the NBA for 12 seasons (1979–1991), he signed a deal in 1984 that allowed him to be paid by the Lakers until 2009, totaling $39,342,860 in career earnings.
As one might anticipate, Magic didn’t make his money from hoops. Magic, one of the basketball industry’s stars in the 1980s, earned a large sum of money via endorsement deals. This gave him even more freedom to launch Magic Johnson Enterprises, his own conglomerate.
Johnson, whose current net worth is $1 billion, has done a great deal of business under the company’s name. Above all, he owns a sizable sports portfolio that includes the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Los Angeles Football Club of the MLS, the LA Dodgers of the MLB, the Washington Commanders of the NFL, and the eSports team Team Liquid.
He also owns a majority stake in EquiTrust Life Insurance. It is understandable why he is among the top three richest players in NBA history with such a varied portfolio.
4. Junior Bridgeman
Net Worth-$600 million
Junior Bridgeman is perhaps another unexpected inclusion on this list. After playing in the NBA for 12 seasons, Bridgeman is said to have made no more than $350,000 annually. Even though he wasn’t exactly a famous player, the Bucks retired his No. 2 jersey in honor of him.
Nevertheless, Bridgeman’s financial success did not come from the NBA. Bridgeman made the decision to invest his money after retiring rather than hoard it. His industry of choice? quick food.
When Bridgeman bought a Wendy’s franchise, he made the decision to buy his first fast-food franchise. After that, a single franchise expanded to 160 franchises, and soon after, he established Bridgeman Foods, Inc., a business that catered to franchisees.
He owned multiple Wendy’s, Chilli’s, Fazoli’s, and Blaze Pizza franchises under the company name. After selling the business, he joined the Coca-Cola organization as a bottler and eventually rose to the position of CEO and president of Coca-Cola Heartland. His enormous net worth was a result of everything.
5. Vinnie Johnson
Net Worth- $500 million
Unexpectedly, a player who may not be as well-known as those who came before him makes the top five. Vinnie Johnson played in the NBA for 14 seasons, earning about $3,190,000 during his career.
Still, Johnson did not make his money on the court. Johnson transitioned to a life as a businessman after his brief but successful NBA career, which saw him win two championships with the Detroit Pistons.
He initially attempted to enter the building industry, but after his first project, he gave up. Johnson moved to the auto packaging industry after retirement, where he founded the Piston Group, not content to sit around doing nothing.
In the years that followed, the Piston Group emerged as the top provider of auto parts to a number of prestigious global businesses, such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors. As the company’s chairman and CEO, he has presided over several years of prosperity as its yearly sales approaches $3 billion. He currently has a net worth of around $500 million as a result.
6. Shaquille O’Neal
Net Worth- $400 million
Not surprisingly, Shaq is a well-known figure in the realm of endorsement deals and commercial appearances, thus his ranking on this list is not surprising. He played for several of the biggest clubs in the NBA for 19 seasons. In all, he made an astounding $286,344,668.
His endorsement deals and commercial endeavors account for a sizable portion of his $400 million net worth. In addition to being an entrepreneur and investor, the Diesel has a number of successful endorsement agreements with companies including JC Penny, Reebok, Pepsi, Icy Hot, Buick, Carnival Cruise Line, Taco Bell, and Wheaties.
He also owns a sizable investment portfolio that includes, among other things, Google and Papa John’s. All of this is a result of his diligent effort as a businessman off the court and as a player on the court.
7. Hakeem Olajuwon
Net Worth- $300 million
Known for his time spent with the Houston Rockets, Olajuwon—also lovingly called “The Dream”—played in the NBA for 14 seasons. Around $97,356,426 was Olajuwon’s earnings over those 14 seasons. Still, he fully established his fortune off the court.
Olajuwon began his own entrepreneurial endeavors after retiring. He has had a lot of success thus far, especially in the real estate sector. In fact, sources claim that he has bought real estate worth over $100 million. Olajuwon is based in Houston and owns a number of significant structures there.
He owns commercial buildings, apartment buildings, single-family homes, and parking garages. He even converted the Federal Reserve Bank building into a mosque and owns the former World Trade Center building in the city.
8. Kevin Durant
Net Worth- $300 million
The first of these two active players is Kevin Durant. With a $300 million net worth, Durant is the eighth-richest NBA player ever. The Slim Reaper has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Suns throughout his 17 seasons in the NBA. His career earnings have totaled $396,705,024 during his 17 seasons.
Durant has earned a great deal of money off the court in addition to his amazing profits there. He has sponsorship agreements with companies like Degree and Gatorade. Recently, he even inked a lifetime contract with Nike.
Durant also has investments in a number of intriguing businesses, including Acorn and Postmates. The great forward even runs 35 Ventures, a media company of his own. Combined, all of this puts him among the wealthiest in the league.
9. Grant Hill
Net Worth- $250 million
Hill’s career earnings in the NBA were $141,008,544, throughout his 18 seasons of play. His $250 million net worth is mostly made up of this. Hill was a member of several NBA teams during his career, including the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers.
He embarked on a prosperous business enterprise after retiring. Hill re-signed with the shoe maker Fila in 2018 after first signing with them in 1997 for a lifetime contract. He makes about $10 million a year from the arrangement.
In addition, Hill has endorsement agreements with a number of other companies, including AT&T, Sprite, McDonald’s, TAG Heuer, Nike, and Adidas. In addition, he has made significant investments in the NBA’s Africa project and, in 2015, he even bought a minority share in the Atlanta Hawks.
10. David Robinson
Net Worth- $200 million
The tenth-richest player in NBA history is David Robinson. Robinson, who is worth $200 million, made the most of his money during his 15 seasons in the NBA. He made an incredible $110,708,513 during his whole career with the San Antonio Spurs.
Robinson enjoyed great success off the court in addition to his riches there. Aside from his sponsorships, his post-retirement business operations are what really made him one of the wealthiest NBA players ever. In addition to running two extremely profitable private equity groups, he also controls a large number of hotels and office buildings all around the country.
