Michael Jordan was one of the most well-known athletes in history. His career spanned from 1984 to 2003, with his final season being a year away from retirement. How much did he make during his career? What would his salary be today if he were still playing?
The Michael Jordan’s Salary Breakdown Per Year is a blog post that compares the original Michael Jordan salary to what it would be today.
In today’s world, you may earn $20 million each season as a three-point specialist. Looking back, it would have been Michael Jordan’s total compensation for his first ten seasons in the NBA. The NBA’s worth has skyrocketed over the years, and Jordan was the driving force behind the league’s ascension to the top of the sports market.
Jordan would have earned more money than Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry, who just inked a contract deal for $50 million per year if he had played in today’s age. Is it possible he might have received more? Let’s take a look at Jordan’s starting salary throughout his career.
We used his initial salary from Spotrac to arrive at these conclusions. Then we used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index converter to determine how inflated the pay is now. Jordan was compensated like some of today’s top superstars towards the conclusion of his career.
1984-1985
Salary at the start: $550,000
$1,450,933 in today’s dollars
The minimum pay for veterans in the league is $2.6 million. Jordan earned $2 million less in his first season, despite scoring 28.2 points per game and winning the Rookie of the Year Award. Zion Williamson’s rookie deal pays him $9.4 million despite the fact that he has yet to play a single game. Williamson, on the other hand, only appeared in a couple of games. How quickly things have changed.
1985-1986
Salary in the start: $630,000
$1,601,739 in today’s dollars
His second season in the league was regarded as his weakest, since he only appeared in 18 games, including seven starts. Jordan played the fewest games of his career due to injury. Given his worth at the time, this seems reasonable, especially considering he only played a quarter of the season.
1986-1987
Salary at the start: $737,500
$1,842,517 in today’s dollars
Jordan was starting to create a name for himself by this season. Jordan had made the All-NBA First Team 10 times before, but this was the first time he had done so. Jordan also set a career best with 37.1 points, which led the league. Jordan would have been able to sign a supermax contract for close to $200 million by now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, and Luka Doncic are just a few names that have come to mind in recent months. Jordan was still only earning a little more than half a million dollars a year.
1987-1988
Salary in the start: $845,000
It would be worth $2,036,688 now.
Jordan earned his first MVP award this season but did not get a salary of $1 million. Jordan had established himself as the league’s greatest player by this point, but his team had yet to get beyond the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs. Jordan’s dominance might be compared to Luka Doncic’s now. The main difference is that Doncic received a hefty pay increase that will pay him more than $200 million over three seasons.
1988-1989
Salary at the start: $2,000,000
It would be $4,636,728 now.
Jordan’s total stat line was one of his finest this season. He had a 32.5-point, 8.0-rebound, and 8.0-assist average. Jordan has never come close to recording a triple-double in a season before. This was under the guise of a $4.6 million annual pay. Russell Westbrook has done it four times and has well outperformed the financial target.
1989-1990
Salary at the start: $2,250,000
It would be $4,959,917 now.
Jordan increased his point totals the next season and remained one of the top shooters in the league. Despite failing to win a title, the Bulls were in the mix before losing in the playoffs to the Pistons. The dynasty would be established after this year, and Jordan’s worth would begin to increase.
1990-1991
Salary at the start: $2,500,000
$5,264,953 is what it would be now.
The Bulls won their first title after finally breaking through the mold. Some incentives may be worth millions of dollars if today’s players win. Jordan’s salary would have easily surpassed Jeff Green’s this season.
1991-1992
Salary at the start: $3,250,000
It would be $6,537,416 now.
Jordan shot over 50% from the floor for the sixth consecutive season, averaging more than 30.0 points per game. It was also the team’s second consecutive NBA title. In today’s game, even in a league with bonuses, his bonus would not have made him worth a mid-level exemption.
1992-1993
Salary at the start: $4,000,000
It would be worth $7,805,049 now.
Kobe Bryant’s yearly salary was $11.2 million when he won his third title. It simply goes to illustrate how much the game has evolved in recent years. Jordan was earning just over $4 million per year and had led the Bulls to three consecutive titles, as well as three Finals MVP awards.
1993-1994
Salary at the start: $4,000,000
$7,578,033 is what it would be now.
Despite his “retirement,” Jordan was still due his pay. Jordan’s third championship season was a difficult one for him since it was his first without his father. He chose to play minor league baseball, but the Bulls retain his contract rights if he decides to return to basketball.
1994-1995
Salary in the start: $3,850,000
It would be worth $7,116,438 now.
Jordan’s comeback to basketball stunned the globe. Jordan was out for half of the season as he considered his options. To be more precise, the Bulls earned a total of $7.8 million in salaries for a few games and no visits to the Conference Finals. It all evened out because of what Jordan gave the squad before he departed.
1995-1996
Salary in the start: $3,850,000
It would be worth $6,906,445 now.
The Bulls won 72 games, which was an NBA record. Steph Curry was ultimately rewarded with a max deal for over $30 million per year when he accomplished it with the Warriors in 2015. Looking back over history, it’s amazing how history seems to repeat itself.
1996-1997
Salary at the start: $30,140,000
It would be worth $50,200,000 today.
Jordan had never been paid what he was worth before. For the Bulls, the summer of 1996 proved pivotal. Jordan was on the brink of signing a deal with the New York Knicks for $18 million, which he was prepared to accept. Instead, the 33-year-old and his agency were able to negotiate a pay raise of $12 million. The Bulls came out on top.
1997-1998
Salary at the start: 33,140,000
It would be $55,200,000 now.
Jordan would be the highest-paid player in NBA history if the inflation measure were used. This includes Giannis’ and Curry’s large wages. Given Jordan’s contributions on the court, you’d have to believe the investment was worthwhile. Jordan led the Bulls to their sixth overall title and second three-peat in the decade. It’s only appropriate that such a huge amount of money be rewarded with a championship.
2001-2002
Salary in the start: $1,000,000
It would be worth $1,536,000 today.
Given Jordan’s 22.9 point per game average, $1 million is a bargain. Jordan had been out of basketball for four years and was nearing the end of his career. It only goes to demonstrate how gifted the GOAT was despite taking so much time off. Jordan may not have helped the Washington Wizards become playoff contenders, but he did help them fill the building.
2002-2003
Salary at the start: $1,536,893
$1,566,281 is what it would be now.
Jordan averaged 20.0 points in 37.0 minutes per game in his last season in the league. He appeared in each of the 82 games. He has one of the highest minutes per game totals in his career. You’d think he’d get a bonus for all his hard work, but Jordan was probably doing quite well financially thanks to his sponsorships and side hustles.
An Ahead-of-His-Time Supermax Player
Let’s put things in context. During Jordan’s $33 million pay in 1997-1998, Patrick Ewing was paid little over $20 million, while Horace Grant was paid $14 million, making him the league’s third-highest paid player. Jordan was just the eighth-highest paid player in the league when he won his first title, with players like Chris Mullin and Hot Rod Williams earning more.
It only goes to demonstrate how popular basketball has become throughout the world. Jordan had a significant role in making it happen. Today’s market is just enormous. You can’t blame the team for not paying up since things were different back then. Jordan remains the GOAT, not just in terms of basketball accolades, but also in terms of money. Give it time, however. We will almost certainly come across a $60 million basketball player at some time in our lives.
Sportac is the source of this information.
Uncovered NBA/Instagram is to thank for the inspiration.
Next
Michael Jordan Shows Up At The Charlotte Hornets’ Training Camp
“He Carried Me For Like 11 Seasons… He Was A Hell Of A Teammate,” Michael Jordan’s teammates said of him.
Michael Jordan is seen playing ping pong as Larry Bird sits on the floor drinking beer.
Michael Jordan believes that if his brother had been taller, he would have been better than him: “I Would Have Been Known As Larry’s Brother If He Had Been 6’2.”
Michael Jordan on LeBron James’ Performance During His Time: “Would LeBron James Be a Success in Our Time? Is He As Successful As He Is? No.”
Michael Jordan’s salary in 1997 was $30 million. If he were to be paid the same amount today, it would be around $60 million. Reference: michael jordan salary 1997.
Related Tags
- scottie pippen salary by year
- michael jordan salary 1996
- michael jordan salary 1995
- michael jordan salary per year
- michael jordan first year salary
