Image via Complex Original
17.
During my daily browsing of Sports Internet® yesterday, I came across a Reddit post that stopped me mid-scroll:
"KG (19 years) has earned $90,663,243 more than Tim Duncan (17 years)"
Wait...what? How is this possible? Kevin Garnett didn't start that much earlier than Tim Duncan (two years). Kevin Garnett was great, but he wasn't necessarily (or at all) a better player than Tim Duncan. Hell, Timmy ended up not only winning four more rings than KG, but has since been crowned the consensus "Best Power Forward of All-Time" by everyone from Jerry Sloan (who coached Karl Malone) to the hyperbolic clowns in your barbershop. How is it possible that KG made so much more money?
Well, most of it has to do with the timing of Garnett's contracts. While some players (like Duncan) were taking pay cuts to stay in one place/keep their teams competitive, KG was getting his six-year, $126 million deal grandfathered in under the old collective bargaining agreement prior to the 1998 NBA lockout. Long story short: not only was Kevin Garnett getting heavier checks than EVERYBODY for a while, but every new deal he signed happened to come at the perfect time. Never earning less than eight figures since 1998? Y'all wanna live KG's lifestyle.
16.
So we decided to make a visual comparison between Garnett and his wealthy NBA peers. All the greats—Jordan, Shaq, LeBron—made great money. But KG-level money? Not quite. Without adjusting for inflation (you hear me, Comment Section?), here are 15 NBA Legends Who Made Way Less Money Than Kevin Garnett.
15.Tim Duncan
Age: 38
Years played: 1997–present
Total NBA earnings: $234,709,155
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $92,663,243
Is having five rings and the title of "Greatest Power Forward of All-Time" worth earning $92 Million less than Kevin Garnett? For Duncan—probably. For you—who knows?
14.David Robinson
Age: 49
Years played: 1989–2003
Total NBA earnings: $116,500,123
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $210,872,275
The Admiral didn't make an eight-figure salary until the 1997-98 season, when some rookie from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan first joined the team. Two NBA titles, 10 All-Star appearances, an MVP award...and David Robinson still made over $210 million less than KG.
13.Michael Jordan
Age: 52
Years played: 1984–2003
Total NBA earnings: $90,235,000
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $237,137,398
Being the GOAT doesn't always mean you're paid that way. Sure, Michael Jordan is a lot richer than Kevin Garnett because of the whole "being one of the most famous and powerful athletes of all-time" thing, but on the hardwood KG still got paid more for his time. MJ's $33 million in a single season remains the league one-year earnings record, but overall Kevin still signed better deals.
12.John Stockton
Age: 53
Years played: 1984–2003
Total NBA earnings: $66,703,000
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $260,669,398
Being over 3,700 assists ahead of the No. 2 person on the all-time list (Jason Kidd) doesn't exactly equal nine-figure earnings. Stockton made about $4,220 for every one of his 15,806 assists, but to get paid like Garnett did he would've had to make around $20,711 for each one. That's a lot of dimes.
11.Karl Malone
Age: 51
Years played: 1985–2004
Total NBA earnings: $104,133,378
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $223,239,020
Karl Malone is the Mailman, but it's KG with the envelopes comin' in the mail and the letter opener out hopin' for a check again.
10.Magic Johnson
Age: 55
Years played: 1979–1996
Total NBA earnings: $46,199,290
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $281,173,108
Having a big personality and winning titles for Los Angeles goes a long, long way. Long enough to stretch $46 million in game checks to over half a billion in net worth, apparently.
9.Allen Iverson
Age: 39
Years played: 1996–2010
Total NBA earnings: $154,494,445
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $172,877,953
Is this where I'm supposed to make some joke about A.I. tossing $40K every time he went to a strip club or buying new clothes in every city instead of carrying luggage? Well forget it. No Iverson slander today, bro. The Answer still has $30 million coming in from Reebok, too.
8.Charles Barkley
Age: 52
Years played: 1985–2000
Total NBA earnings: $40,301,000
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $287,071,398
Good thing Chuck has all that TNT and Weight Watchers money, eh? His net worth is apparently "only" $30 million, which is less than one year of LeBron James' salary after the new CBA kicks in.
7.Vince Carter
Age: 38
Years played: 1998–2015
Total NBA earnings: $165,575,296
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $161,797,102
VC knows the value of staying in the league; 16 years later and he's still collecting checks from the NBA. It's exactly why Vince Carter is one of the NBA's all-time leading earners: longevity. Even after his eight-figure salary days, a more grounded (literally) version of Vince stuck around to make millions with the Mavs. Three milli per season ain't a bad way to spend the last few years, eh?
6.Steve Nash
Age: 41
Years played: 1996–2015
Total NBA earnings: $146,936,620
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $180,435,778
Nice work by one of the all-time great point guards ensuring he got that last $18.2 million from the Lakers before he retired. That's a lot of money, and only a few scattered jerk fans will hold a grudge about it after the rest of us forget in a couple years. Nothing wrong with picking up that last giant check from an organization that already was expecting to lose.
5.Jason Kidd
Age: 42
Years played: 1994–2013
Total NBA earnings: $187,675,468
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $139,696,930
Jason Kidd is a lifer. Yeah, the game checks are over, but those sweet head coaching deposits are still flooding his checking account.
4.LeBron James
Age: 30
Years played: 2003–present
Total NBA earnings: $149,800,313
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $177,572,085
LeBron James has been one of the most vocal players concerning what guys should be able to earn, and with good reason. Given his marketing contributions to the league, LeBron will always be underpaid regardless if he makes $50 million a season. His name alone is worth his current salary. If 'Bron and the rest of the Players Association are able to get their way in the next CBA, there's a chance 'Bron could eventually surpass KG. But for the time being, King James is going to have to live off the paltry $300 million+ he gets from endorsements.
3.Dwyane Wade
Age: 33
Years played: 2003–present
Total NBA earnings: $136,321,666
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $191,050,732
D-Wade has it pretty good. Sure, he's made $191 million less than what Kevin Garnett has in his career, but Wade has three rings and will never pay for his own meal in Miami ever again. What's KG got? One ring and bottomless clam chowder? Who's really winning?
2.Shaquille O'Neal
Age: 43
Years played: 1992–2011
Total NBA earnings: $292,198,327
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: $35,174,071
Shaq is the NBA's second all-time earner, although he still made $35 million less than what Garnett raked in. SHAQ! The same Shaq that hulked around like a sweaty tree the last few years collecting checks and laughing all the way to the bank. Kevin Garnett managing to out-pace Diesel Time is very impressive.
1.Kobe Bryant
Age: 36
Years played: 1996–present
Total NBA earnings: $328,238,062 (After next year)
Garnett earnings: $327,372,398
Difference: –$865,664
And the NEW World Champion of NBA game cheeeeecks...Kobe Bryant! Sure, he's still behind Garnett until his superpowered check comes at the end of next season, but he'll be the first to dethrone Kevin Garnett. There will surely be players in the future who will pass Kobe, but even for someone like LeBron James it won't come easy. Many commentators and fans have taken shots at Kobe for insisting on making so much money over this last contract, but Kobe is a big-picture guy. If the Lakers aren't contenders, he might as well be hella paid. Owners have been caking and underpaying players since professional sports began. It takes guys like Kobe who are unafraid of criticism to take what's theirs.