The
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup may be an international showpiece but it’s a basketball showpiece after all. That’s why it seems appropriate to remember a few facts and figures relating to NBA players.
Let’s kick off with the men in the money, the players who have banked millions of dollars in sponsorship deals over the years. These are the guys who are not only GOATS in terms of basketball they are savvy businessmen who have doubled, trebled and even quadrupled their fortunes over time.
The Richest NBA Players of All-Time
Who are the richest net worth NBA basketball players of all-time? Well the usual suspects of course.
Men like the great Magic Johnson who played point guard for the LA Lakers and later coached the side. The five time NBA champ and 12 time NBA All-Star is not only a legend in his own time, he’s the second richest player with more than $600 million in the bank.
Johnson hasn’t slipped quietly into retirement massaging his money, he has lucrative partnerships with the likes of the global restaurant company Fridays, the privately-owned fitness chain, 24 Hour Fitness and the international coffee conglomerate, Starbucks.
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Magic may be spinning money but his fortune pales in significance when compared to the estimated $1,5 billion that Michael Jordan has in his purse. MJ spent the bulk of his playing career with the Chicago Bulls where he won six NBA Championships and was named the MVP five times - along with a host of other individual honours and accolades.
Jordan made the really big money from endorsement deals from corporate giants like Nike. Now he’s the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the third richest African American in the USA after Robert F Smith and Oprah Winfrey!
Highest Paid Players in the NBA
When it comes to annual salaries, the dollars and cents plummet somewhat. Nonetheless wages are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to net earners for the top guns in the NBA.
Right now, the highest earners are Lebron James and Chris Paul. The former is the power forward for the Lakers and the latter is the point guard for Oklahoma City Thunder. Both players banked exactly $35,654 in wages this year – that’s well below the full-time median income of $46,800!
Players from Africa in the NBA
A sport dominated by African Americans obviously attracts players from Africa. This season there are 54 African imports, with Nigeria providing the bulk of the players.
Countries like Senegal, Cameroon and the DRC are all represented in the NBA. In fact, there are representatives from 15 African nations. One surprising omission is Zambia, a FIBA member known for its keen interest in basketball.
Crims, Predators and Crooks: NBA Players Who Went to Jail
Besides the NBA players who have broken records, earned huge amounts of money and made it into the Hall of Fame, there are those who have made a real hash of things. Some ended their careers in ignominy. Others waited to retire before they committed their crime.
Although there is a long list of NBA jailbirds here are three guys tried for violent crimes. Ruben Patterson of the LA Lakers evaded the jail cells but had to register as a sex offender for forcing himself on the nanny!
Sly Williams of the New York Knicks was sentenced to five and half years for kidnapping and abusing a woman. The worst offender by far was Javaris Crittenton, point guard for the Lakers. He was sentenced to 23 years in jail for murdering a 22-year-old mum!
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