Who are the richest basketball players in the world? Do basketball players make the Forbes list? Of course, they do. Sporting activities are gradually becoming the source of many people’s fortune. Basketball is one of the richest sports currently, and it has produced a billionaire and many hundreds of millions owning players.
Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the richest basketball player in the world. You can tell from his heavy net worth. Michael Jordan may be the richest basketball player, but there are other wealthy basketball players. If you desire to know the basketball players in the top ten richest basketball players list, you’re in the right place.
Top 10 richest basketball players in the world
The richest basketball players in the world earn most of their money outside of basketball. Yes, they may earn millions of dollars as a professional player, but their entrepreneurial skills placed them on this list. Although they are all entrepreneurs, the endorsements they possess play a significant role in their net worth.
These are the ten richest basketball players according to their net worth.
- Michael Jordan
- Junior Bridgeman
- Magic Johson
- Late Kobe Bryant
- Lebron James
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Grant Hill
- David Robinson
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Kevin Garnett
Michael Jordan
Net worth: 1.6 billion dollars
Michael Jeffrey Jordan, popularly known as MJ which stands for Michael Jordan, is the richest basketball player in the world. He is the most famous former NBA basketball player. He played for the Chicago Bulls, where he won six NBA titles. Moreover, he has also been awarded the NBA’s MVP award (Most Valuable Player award) five times as a Chicago Bulls player.
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When you hear the name ‘Michael Jordan,’ the first thing that comes to mind is ‘air Jordan’ sneakers. Michael Jordan signed a five-year annual $500,000 deal with Nike in 1984. Today, he has the NBA’s biggest shoe deal and makes about $130 million annually from this deal. According to Forbes, the amount Michael Jordan makes per year from his shoe deal is four times larger than LeBron’s.
Furthermore, Michael Jordan has made hundreds of millions as a player. Meanwhile, it is nothing compared with what he made from endorsement. He has earned $1.7 billion from multiple endorsements, such as Nike, McDonald’s Wheaties, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, and many more. He has also earned a chunk of money by investing in Hornet, which is undoubtedly the biggest investment he’s ever made. The investment and endorsement made Michael Jordan the richest basketball player in history.
Junior Bridgeman
Net worth: $600million
Junior Bridgeman is not only a legend but also one of the richest basketball players in the world. Junior Bridgeman was a professional basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. Junior’s career lasted from 1975-1987, and he made his highest salary, $350,000, in 1985 playing for the Clippers.
Junior Bridgeman converted his hundreds of thousands to millions. How? He took a leap of faith and invested his highest single-season salary ($350,000) into fast-food franchises. Wendy’s food chains were the specific fast-food franchises he invested in, and it made him one of the richest basketball players.
Lastly, Junior Bridgeman is undoubtedly a successful fast-food entrepreneur. He, however, did not stop there but went further to becoming the president and CEO of Coca-Cola Heartland.
Magic Johnson
Net Worth: $600 million
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. is popularly known as Magic Johnson. He is a hall of fame basketball player famous for having a successful career on the court and off the court. Earvin Johnson, as a professional basketball player, is an Olympic gold medalist. He has been given All-star honors twelve times.
He was the president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic is one of the most successful and richest basketball players off the court.
According to Forbes, Magic Johson’s net worth is around $600 million, and he made most of it from investments. He has shares in the LA Dodgers of the MLB, which is a successful franchise. He made a lot when he was the president of Los Angeles Lakers basketball operations. Meanwhile, he has made millions from business deals as an entrepreneur off the court.
Late Kobe Bryant
Net worth: $600 million
The name ‘Kobe Bryant’ will be included as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played for the Lakers and has been in the NBA All-Star games eighteen times. Kobe also won the All-Star MVP awards four times (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011) out of the eighteen times.
He is one of the richest basketball players, with a net worth of about $600 million. In his entire NBA career, Kobe has made over $323 million while playing with the Lakers. Meanwhile, Kobe’s current net worth came from his $6 million investment in BodyArmor. He invested in BodyArmor in 2014, and in 2022, Coca-Cola took control of BodyArmor for $5.6 billion. The purchase of BodyArmor by Coca-Cola, Kobe stand to gain approximately $400 million from his investment.
LeBron James
Net worth: $480 million
LeBron James is one of the best basketball players in the history of basketball. He plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He earns $41.2 million per annum, making him the sixth highest-paid NBA player.
Although James earns tens of millions on the court, he makes more from endorsements. He earns roughly 55 million dollars from multiple endorsements. James’ multiple endorsements and entrepreneurial success play a significant role in his net worth.
Shaquille O’Neal
Net worth: $400 million
You can not talk about basketball without including the great Shaq. He was a professional basketball player before retiring in 2011. During his career as a professional NBA player, he has been a four times NBA championship winner and a four-time MVP. Now, you will find him analyzing sports most times on the TV program.
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Shaquille O’Neal estimated career earnings during his time in the NBA is $286,344,668. Although Shaq had a huge NBA paycheck, it didn’t make him one of the richest basketball players. Shaquille has multiple endorsements, like Burger King, Taco Bell, and Buick. These endorsements significantly contributed to his $400 million net worth.
Grant Hill
Net worth: $250 million
Grant Hill is an NBA star player with a net worth of $250 million. Grant Hill’s net worth did not come from only his career earnings in the NBA. Moreover, his NBA career earnings are $140 million, and the rest came from his successful entrepreneurial career.
David Robinson
Net worth: $200 million
David Robinson is a retired NBA basketball player. He played for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA from 1989-2003 and has won the NBA championship two times. During his career years in the San Antonio Spurs, he became a ten-time NBA All-star. Robinson’s current net worth is roughly $200 million, and this makes him the eighth richest basketball player globally.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem is a retired NBA player and is a Nigerian-American. He played for the Houston Rockets for the eighteen years of his career. Hakeem made it to the All-Star team twelve times and won an MVP award; he was also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Hakeem’s total earnings during his NBA career years are more than $100 million. Lastly, he accumulated more wealth from real estate.
Kevin Garnett
Net worth: $190 million
Kevin Garnett is the tenth richest basketball player in the world. He had a successful run in the NBA with outstanding achievements. Kevin was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2007/2008. He took part in 15 NBA All-Star games and won An MVP award in 2003. The estimated net worth of Kevin Garnett is $190 million, which makes him the tenth wealthiest basketball player in history.
Ultimate, these are the top ten richest basketball players in the world. You must be perplexed by the presence and absence of some NBA stars’ names on this list. If yes, which NBA player’s name were you expecting to find in this list?
