NET GAINS: Who are the richest NBA players by US state in history?

The NBA (National Basketball Association) generates huge amounts of revenue through its global profile and the massive number of fans who follow its teams. That, in turn, ensures teams can pay astronomical sums to the best players – who add significantly to their earnings through commercial opportunities.

So, who are the biggest earners of all time? And which states have produced the wealthiest stars? We carried out research to identify the richest NBA players by US state in 2022.

NBA players

Net worth of NBA players by US state

Player
Player
AL
Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace $ 50 millionmil
AK
Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers $ 12 millionmil
AZ
Jerryd Bayless
Jerryd Bayless $ 19 millionmil
AR
Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson $ 100 millionmil
CA
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook $ 170 millionmil
CO
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups $ 45 millionmil
CT
Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby $ 50 millionmil
DE
Terence Stansbury
Terence Stansbury $ 3 millionmil
FL
David Robinson
David Robinson $ 200 millionmil
GA
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard $ 140 millionmil
HI
Cedric Ceballos
Cedric Ceballos $ 8 millionmil
ID
Luke Ridnour
Luke Ridnour $ 10 millionmil
IL
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade $ 170 millionmil
IN
Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman $ 600 millionmil
IA
Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz $ 40 millionmil
KS
Earl Watson
Earl Watson $ 16 millionmil
KY
Allan Houston
Allan Houston $ 55 millionmil
LA
Antawn Jamison
Antawn Jamison $ 60 millionmil
ME
Jeff Turner
Jeff Turner $ 2 millionmil
MD
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay $ 40 millionmil
MA
Matt Geiger
Matt Geiger $ 15 millionmil
MI
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson $ 600 millionmil
MN
Kris Humphries
Kris Humphries $ 35 millionmil
MS
Antonio McDyess
Antonio McDyess $ 60 millionmil
MO
Larry Hugues
Larry Hugues $ 45 millionmil
MT
Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson $ 70 millionmil
NE
Fred Hoiberg
Fred Hoiberg $ 9 millionmil
NV
Greg Anthony
Greg Anthony $ 10 millionmil
NH
Matt Bonner
Matt Bonner $ 12 millionmil
NJ
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal $ 400 millionmil
NM
Andre Roberson
Andre Roberson $ 2 millionmil
NY
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan $ 2.2 billionbil
NС
Chris Paul
Chris Paul $ 160 millionmil
ND
Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson $ 20 millionmil
OH
LeBron James
LeBron James $ 1 billionbil
OK
Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin $ 110 millionmil
OR
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire $ 46 millionmil
PA
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace $ 75 millionmil
RI
Marvin Barnes
Marvin Barnes $ 300 thousandthou
SK
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett $ 120 millionmil
SD
Mike Miller
Mike Miller $ 30 millionmil
TN
Anfernee Penny Hardaway
Anfernee Penny Hardaway $ 50 millionmil
TX
Grant Hill
Grant Hill $ 250 millionmil
UT
Tom Chambers
Tom Chambers $ 58 millionmil
VT
Anthony Lamb
Anthony Lamb $ 4 millionmil
VA
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning $ 70 millionmil
WA
Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford $ 55 millionmil
DC
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant $ 200 millionmil
WV
Deron Williams
Deron Williams $ 65 millionmil
WI
Caron Butler
Caron Butler $ 26 millionmil
WY
James Johnson
James Johnson $ 1.5 millionmil

It's fascinating to note that the five men with the highest net worth on our map were all born in states in the north-west of the USA. Given the coast-to-coast popularity of the NBA, it will be intriguing to see how this trend might change in the years to come.

It's also notable that many of the richest NBA players are those who leveraged their sporting success to develop lucrative business careers after they retired.

The top 10: The highest earners by state

More than half of the top 10 are former players who have gone on to make extraordinary amounts of money. Can you guess which three current players make the list?

Player
Born in
Net Worth
1
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
New York
$ 2,2 billion
Born in
New York
Net Worth
$ 2,2 billion
It's no surprise at all to find the man commonly regarded as 'the greatest of all time' at the top of this list. Jordan never did like to finish second. His competitive drive empowered 'His Airness' to inspire the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s. During his career he was paid more than $90million – but that figure was dwarfed by his huge commercial deals. Since retiring, his immense marketability has kept him in demand and his financial worth has continued to grow.
2
LeBron James
LeBron James
Ohio
$ 1 billion
Born in
Ohio
Net Worth
$ 1 billion
Few players come close to comparison with Jordan when hoops fans get together to discuss the greatest of all time – but James is one of them. In a career dating back to 2003, King James has won four NBA championships with three different teams: the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers. Away from the court, he has an impressive array of endorsements and invests in areas such as film production, nutritional supplements and drinks brands.
3
Junior Bridgeman
Junior Bridgeman
Indiana
$ 600 million
Born in
Indiana
Net Worth
$ 600 million
Bridgeman enjoyed a 12-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Clippers between 1975 and 1987. However, his presence so high in this table owes much more to the entrepreneurial flair he has displayed since hanging up his sneakers. Bridgeman invested in the Wendy's franchise and went on to own more than 100 fast food outlets. More recently, he moved into publishing and bought the magazines, Ebony and Jet.
4
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Michigan
$ 600 million
Born in
Michigan
Net Worth
$ 600 million
Even while he was becoming the dominant figure in basketball, leading the LA Lakers to five NBA championships, Johnson had an eye for business. Since retiring, his Magic Johnson Enterprises conglomerate has been successful in a wide range of commercial sectors. He has also invested in sports franchise ownership, including teams in baseball, basketball and soccer.
5
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
New Jersey
$ 400 million
Born in
New Jersey
Net Worth
$ 400 million
During a 20-year NBA career, Shaq cast a long shadow over the game – as you would expect from a man who stands 7ft 1in. He won four NBA titles with the LA Lakers and Miami Heat, and has released four rap albums and appeared in several movies. His wide-ranging business interests include ventures in real estate, fast food and tech start-ups.
6
Grant Hill
Grant Hill
Texas
$ 250 million
Born in
Texas
Net Worth
$ 250 million
Hill was a seven-time NBA All-Star player who represented four teams – the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers – over 19 seasons in the big league. He has developed a high media profile since, working in sports broadcasting and appearing in several ad campaigns. He was part of a consortium that bought the Atlanta Hawks in 2015.
7
David Robinson
David Robinson
Florida
$ 200 million
Born in
Florida
Net Worth
$ 200 million
Known as 'The Admiral' because of his service in the US Navy, Robinson played for the San Antonio Spurs for 15 seasons, winning two NBA championships. He is one of only six players to score more than 70 points in a game, a feat he achieved against the LA Clippers in 1994. Following his retirement, he helped to set up the Admiral Capital Group, a private equity company.
8
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Washington D.C
$ 200 million
Born in
Washington D.C
Net Worth
$ 200 million
Durant's NBA career began in Seattle in 2007 and is still going strong with the Brooklyn Nets. It included a four-year spell with the Golden State Warriors, during which he won two NBA championships. One of the most high-profile current players, he tops up his lavish earnings with major endorsement deals including contracts with Foot Locker and Nike.
9
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook
California
$ 170 million
Born in
California
Net Worth
$ 170 million
Since 2008, Westbrook has played for four NBA teams – the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards and LA Lakers – and piled up nine All-Star appearances. His endorsements include a 10-year deal with the Jordan Brand - the largest given to any athlete sponsored by the group. He's also backed by clothing manufacturers and soft drink brands.
10
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Illinois
$ 170 million
Born in
Illinois
Net Worth
$ 170 million
Wade grew up in Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan. During a long career in the NBA, during which he won three NBA championships with the Miami Heat, he was selected by his idol to promote the Jordan Brand. Wade enjoyed a high profile off the court and his numerous endorsements included energy drinks, cellphones and automobile manufacturers.
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Methodology

To create the list of the richest players by state, we pulled together the players who earned the most money in their career at spotrac.com.

Once this was done, their place of birth was searched and the ranking was built.