This is how NBA legends spend their millions from luxury private jets to $4m shoes
- NBA players are famously flash with their money and now that the average NBA salary is $10m, they can let their hair down
- One player spent $100,000 on a house for his snakes
- Another is obsessed with fashion and spends $350,000 a year on clothes
Published on Nov 10, 2023 at 5:02 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Nov 13, 2023 at 2:13 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
NBA players are famously flash with their money, and considering the average NBA salary is valued at $10 million a year, there’s a lot of money to be spent.
We’re looking at some of the most outrageous things NBA players have bought.
Including private golf courses, entire sports teams, massive shoe collections and a huge mansion just for snakes.
Shaquille O’Neal’s custom made Ferrari
Shaq likes to blow his money on cars.
But when you’re 7.1ft, you can’t just buy a stock vehicle.
Once a sales assistant at Ferrari joked that he wouldn’t fit into one so he’d have to buy two, and Shaq took him seriously.
He bought two models and reconfigured them to make one, extra-long car.
Later he did the same with a Lamborghini, which cost him $600,000.
Dwayne Wade’s 7-figure sneakers
The retired NBA great is a huge sneakerhead.
Dwayne Wade owns Way of Wade, producing high-performance basketball shoes.
He spent a fair amount creating the world’s most expensive pair of sneakers.
The custom shoes were decked out in sapphires, diamonds and flecks of 18k gold.
In total, the flashy footwear cost a whopping $4 million.
LeBron James
LeBron James is another NBA legend who can call himself a billionaire.
According to Dwayne Wade though, he’s the stingiest guy in the NBA, and James doesn’t dispute this.
Even though he makes $111 million a year, he saves money wherever he can.
James uses the free version of Spotify and even brings his own snacks to basketball games.
“I’m not turning on data roaming and I’m not buying apps,” he says.
When not saving, James is spending on rare supercars.
His most expensive purchase was the Porsche 918 Spyder, valued at $845,000.
Dwight Howard’s unusual collecting habit
Dwight Howard probably has the weirdest spending habits of all the NBA players.
He’s spent a fortune on a mansion, and another mansion for his snakes, that is.
One of his prized possessions is a 25ft constrictor called Cleopatra.
He paid $100,000 to build his 40 snakes a palace in his home, complete with ambient lighting and two full-time caretakers.
Kevin Durant’s mindset
It’s pretty normal for NBA players to invest in other teams.
Michael Jordan owned the Charlotte Hornets for years while LeBron James has a stake in Liverpool FC.
Kevin Durant, however, has invested in a less common sport.
He owns a major league pickleball team.
While not as big as football or basketball yet, it’s currently the fastest-growing sport in America.
So probably a wise place for Durant to invest his millions.
Russell Westbrook’s fashion obsession
Westbrook’ is almost as well known for his outfits as he is for his basketball career.
The NBA great famously never wears the same outfit twice.
He spends over $350,000 a year on clothes.
He has even been known to buy out entire stores’ worth of clothing.
Michael Jordan’s portfolio
When it comes to spending, no one quite does it like Michael Jordan.
Besides luxury cars and sprawling mansions, Jordan has made many other extravagant purchases, including two superyachts.
One of which has a basketball court on board and costs $800,000 a week to maintain.
When not traveling by sea or road, Jordan chooses to use his private jet.
He bought a Gulfstream G550 for $61 million and had it repainted for $350,000.
The paint job he picked is an elephant print to match his favorite pair of shoes.
Jordan has also been known to invest in NFTs.
He owns a private golf course too and once bought a watch worth $155,000.
With a net worth of $3 billion, the guy can afford to buy whatever he wants.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.