8 of the richest NBA players ever – net worths, ranked: from LeBron James and Michael Jordan, to Shaquille O’Neal, Vinnie Johnson and Magic Johnson, who just joined the billionaires’ club in 2023

Dec 3 , 2023

NBA’s top money men: LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Photo: Getty Images

LeBron James, the NBA’s highest-paid active player, became a billionaire in 2022 thanks to endorsements with the likes of Coca-Cola and Nike, and his business smarts

NBA OG Junior Bridgeman made only US$350,000 a year as a player, but opened 160 Wendy’s and 120 Chili’s franchises after retirement, rocketing his net worth to US$600 million

The National Basketball Association, or NBA, only operates in North America, but that hasn’t stopped the institution from becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Watched by millions around the world, the sport has also turned many of its players into multimillionaires – and now billionaires too. Of the four billionaire athletes in the world in 2023, three are former or current NBA players. (Golf legend Tiger Woods completes the billionaire athletes circle.)

So which NBA stars are laughing all the way to the bank in 2023? The internet wizards at Celebrity Net Worth and Forbes reveal the fortunes of the wealthiest players in the game.

8. Grant Hill, 51: US$250 million

Grant Hill, who played for various NBA teams, made most of his money with footwear brand Fila. Photo: @realgranthill/Instagram

Having played for popular teams like Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers, it’s no surprise Grant Hill has raked in a fortune. Besides playing professionally for 19 years, his long list of endorsements has helped him accumulate an impressive quarter-of-a-billion-dollar fortune.

Over the years, he’s worked with the likes of McDonald’s, Nike, Tag Heuer, Adidas and AT&T in advertisements. However, his biggest deal might be with shoe brand Fila: he signed a seven-year contract worth US$80 million in 1997. Then, in 2018, he signed a lifetime deal with the brand that pays US$10 million a year, per Yahoo! News.

7. Hakeem Olajuwon, 60: US$300 million

Former Houston Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon went into the property market after retirement and made his fortune there. Photo: AFP

Following an impressive 18-year career in the NBA, Nigeria-born Hakeem Olajuwon is known as one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. And also one of the wealthiest.

After his retirement from the NBA in 2002, Olajuwon embarked on a highly successful entrepreneurial career and also got involved in the Houston property market, where he made most of his hefty fortune, per Sportskeeda. He owns a large property portfolio consisting of commercial buildings, parking garages homes and apartment complexes.

6. Shaquille O’Neal, 51: US$400 million

Shaquille O’Neal, brand ambassador, TV host, marketing guru and entrepreneur, owns a wide variety of businesses. Photo: AP

As one of the most iconic (and charismatic) players in the history of NBA, it’s no surprise that Shaquille O’Neal found success as a brand ambassador and TV host after retiring from sports.