Top 10 Richest NBA Players of All Time ( Ranked List)

The
NBA
is one of the most well-known leagues in the world of sports. The premier competition when it comes to basketball, the league is a lucrative market for investors, brands, and advertisers. This is because of the talent available in the league, and some of the iconic teams the NBA plays host to.

As a result of this, the NBA makes a ton of money each year. In fact, according to some reports, the league generated a whopping $10.58 billion in revenue last season. Given how wealthy it is, it’s not surprising to note, that the league has had several players come through their ranks that have made a lot of money over the years.

Whether it’s thanks to the paychecks they receive on the court, or their smart business decisions off it. The NBA has produced some of the richest athletes in sports history. But, who are the richest players of all time to come out of the NBA?

David Robinson

Net worth: $200 million

David Robinson is the 10th richest player in NBA history. With a net worth of $200 million, Robinson made most of his money playing in the NBA for 15 seasons. He spent his entire career with the
San Antonio Spurs
, and in that time he made a whopping $110,708,513.

In addition to his earnings on the court, Robinson also found a lot of success off it. His endorsements aside, it is his business dealings post-retirement that really allowed him to establish himself as one of the richest NBA players in history. Not only does he have two very successful private equity funds, but he also owns numerous hotels and office buildings across the United States.

Grant Hill

Net worth: $250 million

Having played 18 seasons in the NBA, Hill accumulated $141,008,544 in career earnings. This is a major part of his $250 million net worth. During his time in the NBA, Hill played for a number of teams, including the
Detroit Pistons
,
Orlando Magic
,
Phoenix Suns
, and
L.A. Clippers
.

Following retirement, he started a successful entrepreneurial adventure. In 2018, Hill signed a lifetime deal with the shoe company Fila, whom he had originally signed with in 1997. The deal nets him around $10 million a year.

Additionally, Hill has had endorsement deals with several other brands, such as Sprite, McDonald’s, TAG Heuer, Nike, Adidas, AT&T. He is also a major investor in the NBA’s Africa project, and even acquired a minority stake in the Atlanta Hawks back in 2015.

Kevin Durant

Net worth: $300 million

Kevin Durant
is the first of two active players on this list. The eighth-richest player in NBA history, Durant has a net worth of $300 million. The Slim Reaper has spent 17 seasons in the NBA so far, playing for the
Oklahoma City Thunder
, the
Golden State Warriors
, the
Brooklyn Nets
, and the Suns. In those 17 seasons, he has accumulated $396,705,024 in career earnings.

Apart from his incredible earnings on the court, Durant has made a lot of money off it. He has endorsement deals with the likes of Gatorade and Degree. He even signed a lifetime contract with Nike recently.

Additionally, Durant is an investor in some interesting companies like Postmates and Acorn. The star forward even has his own media company, 35 Ventures. All this put together makes him one of the richest in the league.

Hakeem Olajuwon

Net worth: $300 million

Known for his spell with the
Houston Rockets
, Olajuwon, fondly referred to as “The Dream”, played 14 seasons in the league. In those 14 seasons, Olajuwon earned around $97,356,426. However, it’s off the court where he fully established his wealth.

Following retirement, Olajuwon embarked on his own entrepreneurial journey. So far, he has found great success, particularly in the real estate market. In fact, according to reports, he has made over $100 million in real estate purchases. Working primarily out of Houston, Olajuwon owns several important buildings in the city.

He owns parking garages, apartment complexes, single-family living spaces, and commercial buildings. He even owns the city’s former World Trade Center building and Federal Reserve Bank building, turning the latter into a mosque.

Shaquille O’Neal

Net worth: $400 million

Known around the world for his appearances in numerous commercials and his plethora of endorsement deals, Shaq’s place on this list isn’t surprising. He spent 19 seasons in the NBA, playing for a number of the league’s biggest teams. He earned a massive $286,344,668 in that time.

A lot of his $400 million net worth comes from his endorsements and business ventures. Apart from being an investor and entrepreneur, the Diesel has several lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Reebok, Pepsi, Icy Hot, Buick, Carnival Cruise Line, Taco Bell, Wheaties, JC Penny, and more.

He also has quite an investment portfolio, which includes Google and Papa John’s, among others. All this is thanks to the hard work he has put in both as a player on the court and as a businessman off it.

Vinnie Johnson

Net worth: $500 million

Making the top-five, and rather unexpectedly, is a player that may not be as well known as those before him. Vinnie Johnson spent 14 seasons in the NBA, accumulating around $3,190,000 in career earnings.

However, it wasn’t on the court that Johnson made his money. Following his short but fruitful NBA career that saw him win two championships with the Detroit Pistons, Johnson turned to a life as a businessman.

At first, he tried to get into the construction business but failed after his first project. Not content with simply twiddling his thumbs in retirement, Johnson moved to the auto packaging business, where he found the Piston Group.

In the years that followed, the Piston Group became the leading supplier of automobile parts to some leading international companies, including General Motors, and the Ford Motor Company. As the CEO and chairman, he has seen through many years of success, as the company generates close to $3 billion in annual revenue. As a result, he now has a net worth close to $500 million.

Junior Bridgeman

Net worth: $600 million

Another surprising entry on this list is Junior Bridgeman. Bridgeman spent 12 seasons in the NBA, and reportedly earned no more than $350,000 a season. While he wasn’t exactly a legendary figure, he did leave quite the mark and even had his No.2 jersey retired by the Bucks.

However, it wasn’t in the NBA where Bridgeman made his money. Following his retirement, Bridgeman decided to invest his money rather than sit on it. His choice of industry? Fast food.

Bridgeman decided to buy his first fast-food franchise when he purchased a Wendy’s franchise. After that, one franchise grew to 160 franchises and before long, he founded Bridgeman Foods, Inc., a company focused on the franchisee model.

Under the company’s name, he owned several franchises of Wendy’s, Chilli’s, Fazoli’s, and Blaze Pizza. He would later sell the company before becoming a bottler for the Coca-Cola company, and later the CEO and president of Coca-Cola Heartland. All this contributed to his immense net worth.

Magic Johnson

Net worth: $800 million

Considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time,
Magic Johnson
comes in at No. 3. With a net worth of $800 million, Johnson is a player many looked at as the poster boy for an athlete turned successful businessman.

A Hall of Famer, Johnson had one of the most interesting NBA contracts. He spent 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1979-1991, but in 1984 he signed a contract that saw him collect a paycheck from the Lakers until 2009, mounting up to $39,342,860 in career earnings.

As one might expect, playing basketball wasn’t where Magic made his money. As one of the faces of basketball in the 80s, Magic made a lot of money through endorsement deals. This further allowed him to start his own business empire, under the guise of Magic Johnson Enterprises.

Now valued at $1 billion, Johnson has conducted a lot of business in the company’s name. Most notably, he has a lucrative sports portfolio, which consists of ownership in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, the MLS’ Los Angeles Football Club, the MLB’s LA Dodgers, the NFL’s Washington Commanders, and the eSports team, Team Liquid.

Additionally, he has a controlling interest in EquiTrust Life Insurance. With such a diverse portfolio, it’s no wonder he is one of the top three richest players in NBA history.

LeBron James

Net worth: $1 billion

The second active player on this list and the richest player currently in the NBA is
LeBron James
. The King has a massive net worth of $1 billion, and is just one of two NBA players considered to be a billionaire.

Currently in his 21st season in the league, LeBron has earned $479,466,457 over the years. This, combined with his numerous endorsements and business ventures, contributed to his status as a billionaire.

Apart from his lifetime deal with Nike, King James has a diverse portfolio. He has invested heavily in a number of different industries. Whether it is the fast food business in Blaze Pizza or his own alcoholic beverage, Lobos.

LeBron has even dabbled in sports investments in the past. At one point, he had a stake in Liverpool FC, which is owned by the Fenway Sports Group. Additionally, he also has his own production company, SpringHill Company.

Michael Jordan

Net worth: $3 billion

Regarded by many to be the greatest player of all time,
Michael Jordan
is the epitome of a sportsperson who found success outside of sports. His career as a basketball player aside, Jordan’s numerous endorsements and investments resulted in him accumulating a net worth of $3 billion.

A net worth that makes him the richest athlete, not just in the history of the NBA, but in the history of sports.

Over the course of his 14-year career, he earned $90 million playing basketball for the
Chicago Bulls
and the
Washington Wizards
. However, a chunk of his wealth came from his endorsements. He worked with the likes of McDonald’s, Hanes, Gatorade, and Chevrolet.

But, his most lucrative endorsement was undoubtedly with Nike. He signed one of the most iconic deals in sports history, one that saw him make money on each shoe sold with his Air Jordan image. This led to him earning close to $2.4 billion pre-tax, which he used to invest in companies like Draft Kings and become a co-owner of a NASCAR team.

His wealth only swelled recently, after he sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion.