On Tuesday, Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA after 20 years. The Lakers legend signed a two-year contract with the New York Knicks, and he now plans to get his master’s degree in business administration. He made more money in his career than anyone else in NBA history, but he still says he’s not paid what he deserves. Kobe believes he’s underpaid, and that’s not just because he’s getting paid less to play basketball than the NBA’s most famous stars.
Kobe Bryant’s life is a story of material success, and yet he still believes that he was underpaid. In the comments of an ESPN article in which the NBA legend (who retired in 2016 at age 40) discusses his career earnings in basketball, he made a notable statement: “One thing I’ve never been against is the fact that I’ve been able to do things that most people can’t do. I’ve been able to make enough money to feed my family and give them the likes of that. I’ve been able to give them the best opportunities. I’ve been able to give them a comfortable lifestyle. I’ve been able to do that.”
Kobe Bryant is a rare athlete today. The NBA star has been a legend since ever. Just imagine the most popular NBA player playing for the team that you love to watch. Kobe Bryant is not only that, he is being the best shooting guard in the game. His team “Los Angeles Lakers” is definitely the one that you would love to watch. He is also known for his charity work and reputation. So, what is Kobe Bryant’s net worth?. Read more about how much money did kobe bryant make in his nba career and let us know what you think.
During his NBA career, Kobe Bryant easily established himself as a modern basketball legend. The star of the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the league, brought five championships to Hollywood and established himself as a cultural icon for an entire generation. Not surprisingly, thanks to this reality, the goalie has earned $323 million in gross salary over the years.Although he won a lot of money, Kobe was not really satisfied with his result. Indeed, the Lakers star suggested back in 2014 that he, like some other NBA top talent, was underpaid.
Kobe Bryant earned $323 million for a historic NBA career
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Even if some fans don’t like it, professional sports has become a big money business. That means star players like Kobe Bryant will reap the financial rewards.
He signed a three-year contract worth $3.5 million and entered the NBA straight out of high school. Although there were some growing pains – Kobe didn’t become a regular starter until his third season – he showed enough potential to impress Lakers management. In January 1999, he signed a contract extension that allowed him to stay in Hollywood and increase his salary to over $11 million per season.
But Bryant wasn’t done with it yet. He found success on the court, became one of the game’s greatest talents and led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles. Financially, this success allowed him to obtain a new raise. After a disappointing end to the 2003-04 season, Kobe turned down interest from the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a seven-year, $136 million contract with the Lakers.
Although there were ups and downs after that – Bryant won two more titles, but also suffered painful playoff losses and injuries – the quarterback’s merit has never really diminished. He signed a three-year, $83 million contract in 2010 and the final contract of his career three years later. That contract paid $48.5 million over two seasons, giving Kobe a total of $323 million in his career.
Lakers legend still feels underpaid even after signing his last NBA contract
Kobe Bryant runs onto the field during a Los Angeles Lakers game. | Nick Laham/Getty Images
For the vast majority of people, making $323 million during their lifetime is a pipe dream, let alone within 20 years. Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, was clearly not happy with the amount.
In 2014, Chris Ballard traveled to China with the Lakers star to shoot a cover for Sports Illustrated. This trip also gave rise to a few nuggets that did not fit into the usual article, prompting the author to share them in a second volume. In this article, we learn that Kobe thought he, like LeBron James, was making money.
Bryant feels that players like him and LeBron James are underpaid compared to what they would be worth on the free market (he told friends that James would be worth about $75 million on the free market), Ballard said. In his last contract it was important for him to show young players that you should never ask for less than you are worth.
However, the goalkeeper didn’t seem completely frustrated by the financial aspect of his career. While Bryant made fun of NBA owners by saying they don’t buy teams for the love of basketball, nor should players take pay cuts for the love of the game, he specifically acknowledged the Lakers’ executives and their role in his success.
The Lakers as an organization, I’m very, very happy to be with them, Kobe added. They could have gone the other way and shortchanged me [in the last contract negotiations in 2013], but that’s not what they stand for. They care about their players. I’m very, very lucky.
Kobe Bryant made up for a possible underpayment on the field and still amassed a fortune of a whopping $600 million.
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To be fair, Bryant is probably right that he is underpaid. Had the Lakers defenseman been a free agent at his peak and on a truly open market, he likely would have received far more than his record $30 million salary in a single season. Still, Kobe had no trouble making ends meet financially.
According to a 2020 Forbes article titled Kobe Bryant’s $600 million fortune: Although he has won on and off the court, the Lakers star has made his basketball success much more than that. Since joining the NBA, he has committed more than 20 brands, including Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz and Hublot, Kurt Badenhausen said, and used the money for investments. The Guardian wrote the books, won an Oscar and became a brand in its own right. Even if you knew nothing about basketball, you knew Kobe Bryant.
In total, this combination of basketball and business earned Kobe $600 million upon his death. Although there’s more to life than money, this amount doesn’t hurt.
salary information is brought to you by Spotrac.
COMPARED TO: Ben Simmons may regret not listening to Kobe Bryant a few years agoKobe Bryant’s salary as a basketball player may seem like a lot, but is it really? After all, according to the Economist, the average NBA salary in 2015 was $5.3 million. But that number doesn’t even come close to telling the whole story. Kobe is a rare athlete who earns not only from his endorsement deals, but also from his personal brand. On top of his massive salary, Kobe also made an estimated $1.1 billion from his own investments and investments through his businesses, with an estimated value of $323 million according to Forbes.. Read more about vanessa bryant net worth and let us know what you think.
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