While it’s difficult to believe, despite earning $174,000 everyday in 1997, Michael Jordan’s most lucrative NBA contract falls short of Shohei Ohtani’s massive $700 million deal – even after inflation.
Michael Jordan was a legend both on and off the court.
Six times NBA champion, he was the first athlete to become a billionaire.
In fact, his net worth due to smart entrepreneurial decisions after his NBA career means he’s now worth $3 billion.
Although, many athletes are keen to topple him from his position as world’s richest sports star.
We still love finding out what he’s up to – from real estate, to superyachts and his jaw-dropping car collection.
However, his salary pales in comparison to baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s recent massive contract.
It’s recently been revealed that Japanese-born Ohtani signed a huge 10-year $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The deal comes after he played six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
The two-way player’s contract is 64 percent bigger than the previous Major League Baseball record.
That unprecedented, 12-year, $426.5 million deal was made by Mike Trout back in 2019.
What’s more, Ohtani’s $70 million average salary is 62 percent higher than the previous best of $43.33 million, as per CNBC.
Ohtani’s new average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels.
These figures make what five-times-MVP, Michael Jordan, made from his biggest contract with the NBA seem like small fry.
While seemingly a benchmark for wealth in athletics, Jordan ‘only’ earned over $93 million in NBA salary over the course of his career.
Ohtani will earn close to that in his first year with his new team.
Out of the $91 million Michael Jackson amassed during his time with the Bulls, His Airness earned over $63 million during his last two seasons.
A one-year $30 million deal in 1996 was followed by another one-year $33.1 million contract in 1997 (his biggest).
His previous highest one-year salary seemed low at $4 million.
However, his $33.1 million contract in 1997 was far higher than payrolls of other NBA teams.
It remained the biggest contract in NBA history until 2018.
While inflation means these figures need to be adjusted slightly, $33.1 million from 1997 would be more than $63 million today.
To put that into context: Jordan earned around $174,000 per day in 1997.
Ohtani, meanwhile, will earn over $191,000 each day.
