The 10 Richest NBA players of all time

#1 Michael Jordan - $1.65 billion dollars

Michael Jordan in Paris to Mark 30 Years of Air Jordan at Palais 23.

Michael Jordan's career earnings of $1.85 billion (adjusted for inflation) make him the highest-paid athlete of all time. His deal with Nike to launch the Jordan brand has been a gamechanger in the world of sports shoes, and in general, sports apparel. The baggy shorts worn by NBA players commonly these days are the result of Jordan himself wearing another pair of shorts beneath his Bulls uniforms, and the rest of the league copying him since he looked so cool.

Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, buying the franchise which were known in 2010 as the Charlotte Bobcats. Following a rebranding to their original name, the Charlotte franchise was introduced in its current Hornets version at the start of the 2014-15 NBA season.

Jordan’s pre-Hornets fortune was built on the back of his NBA career and more specifically his endorsements. Jordan earned $90 million in playing salary during his 15-year playing career. He was the NBA's highest-paid player only two seasons during his career, but he has earned another $1.4 billion (pre-tax) from corporate partners since he turned pro in 1984, including his post-playing career earnings.