Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper makes feelings known on $133m Cam Newton losing 'Superman' role

Former Chicago Bulls guard Ron Harper discussed Cam Newton's comments about his life post-NFL. The former Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots quarterback explained how different his life has been since he stopped playing in the league and how much it's affected his eight kids' lifestyle.

After NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman shared that Newton only made $133 million during his professional career, Harper clarified that the number players agree to isn't the one that hit their bank account.

"Taxes take half, so don’t look at the big number," Harper tweeted on Saturday.

This comes after Newton explained that he had to change how he provides for his kids as he doesn't have more NFL money coming. His last experience in the league happened in 2021 when he donned the Carolina Panthers jersey again. He shared on an episode of "Special Forces" that his life had some impactful changes after his opportunities in the NFL ran out.

"Being in the NFL, everyone knows there's a large sum of money that comes to you in a short span of time and being away from the game for three years, those checks don't came in the same," Newton said. "Like I got eight kids.

It hurts me knowing that I can't provide like I once did. It hurts thinking that I'm Superman, but in reality, I'm just a man."

Per Spotrac, Newton made $133,545,071 during his 12-year NFL career. With Ron Harper's contribution to the operation, Newton might have made $66,772,535.5 during his career, and this excludes the percentage his agent took. His highest-earning season came in 2015 when he made $24 million while becoming the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.

Ron Harper made nearly $100 million less than Cam Newton during NBA career

Ron Harper played in the NBA when contracts weren't as lucrative as today. The former Bulls, Cavaliers and Clippers player spent 15 years in the association, making $34,935,000 with four teams.

His highest-earning season came in 1997-98 when the Chicago Bulls paid him $5,280,000. Despite not being the highest-paid player in the league, Harper was something that not many could brag about: an NBA champion.

He won three titles in Chicago alongside Michael Jordan and two in Los Angeles when the Lakers took over the NBA.