America’s Black Mamba, Kobe Bean Bryant is undoubtedly one of the highest paid basketball players. His net worth is $280 million, according to celebritynetworth.com. He followed his father’s footsteps, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers.
His success began in high school when he led them to win the state championship, something that had not happened in 53 years. Foregoing college, he was originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. He however opted to join the NBA and began to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Together with Shaquille O’Neal, they made the Lakers win the NBA championships for 3 consecutive years: 2000-2002. Bryant also led the Lakers to other wins in 2009 and 2010.
His earnings
His first earnings were when he was 18. He signed
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This shoe was named the ‘lightest basketball shoe ever’. In 2012, he also received endorsements from Lenovo, Mercedes Benz, Coca Cola, and Smart Car.
Other businesses
Kobe is also an investor. He has a company called Kobe Inc. This company invested around $6 million to buy over 10% stake of BodyArmor, an emerging sports drink.
Charity work
The number 24 guard also has a philanthropic imprint. He has partnered with After-School All-Stars, which is part of the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation. Kobe also runs the Kobe Basketball Academy, an annual summer
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Ballard thinks that star players tend to get underpaid, since the league has maximum contract rules.
Some people thought that Bryant should have taken a higher payer cut, as they feel that his skills are diminishing.
Interestingly, according to SI, Bryant believes that star players like himself are underpaid, if you were to compare their pay with free market rates.
The NBA caps maximum salaries at around 30% of the salary cap. The annual raise is 7.5%. Estimates for what Bryant would therefore be way more than his current salary at NBA. Ultimately, Bryant would only be worth what an NBA owner is willing to pay. The good news is that some free-spending owners could be willing to pay more, which translates to higher pay for Bryant.
The Divorce
Unfortunately, Bryant’s divorce took a toll on his net worth. His wife Vanessa possessed three mansions in Newport Beach, California. The mansions are worth $18.8 million. Since they had no pre-nup, the divorce settlement could be somewhere between $100 and $150 million. The couple was said to reconcile.
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