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Michael Jordan Made Billions Off The Court While Saying He Would Have Played For Free

Michael Jordan simply played basketball for his love of the game. However, the money he made on the court and in endorsements did not hurt his bottom line.

Scott Salomon

Phil Jackson entered the 1997-98 season knowing it would be his last with the Bulls. Michael Jordan insisted he wouldn't play for any other coach.
Phil Jackson entered the 1997-98 season knowing it would be his last with the Bulls. Michael Jordan insisted he wouldn't play for any other coach. / Anne Ryan, USA TODAY, USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Throughout his illustrious career, money made on the basketball court was always secondary to Michael Jordan.

He claimed he simply played basketball because he loved the game.

"It's great. I love the game of basketball and I feel that if I didn't get paid right now, I would still play the game of basketball without a doubt," Jordan said before his retirement. "I don't ever want to lose that love. If I do, then I would want to quit."

According to spotrac.com, Jordan made less than $4 million per season over 14 of his 16 seasons in the league. Jordan made $93,877,500 in player salary during his career.

"I know this is a business and that a lot of people make a lot of money in the game of basketball," Jordan said.. "But, no one can express or pay the love that I have for the game."

Perhaps Jordan would play the game for free due to the money he earned with his Air Jordan shoe line. Jordan reportedly made $330 million during 2023 from Nike for his partnership interest in the Air Jordan signature line.

Jordan also served as a national spokesman for other brands, such as Hanes, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Wheaties, and Chevrolet.

Bloomberg has reported Jordan's net worth in 2024 is estimated at $3.5 billion. This makes him the richest basketball player in the world. No one, including LeBron James, is even close.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com.

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Scott Salomon
SCOTT SALOMON

Scott Salomon joined FanNation on Sports Illustrated in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins channel. In June he joined Inside the Heat and Back in the Day NBA. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. Scott has covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services. Twitter: @ScottSalomonNFL