Sport

This Is What Isiah Thomas Is Really Worth

May 15, 2020

Isiah Thomas may be one of the most controversial figures to have ever played in the NBA thanks to his notoriously gloomy side and the fact that many star athletes cannot bear it, including NBA legend Michael Jordan, who has had enmity with Thomas for a long time. That said, not being the friendliest person in the game hasn’t stopped Thomas from making an impressive amount of money over the years.

“During his professional career, Isiah earned a total of $ 16.7 million in salary alone,” which is “the same as around $ 35 million today after adjusting for inflation,” according to Celebrity Net Worth. As a player, Thomas’ “highest earning season was 1991-1992 when the Pistons paid him $ 2.96 million, which equals $ 5.15 million” today.

After Thomas’s time with the NBA, he turned his attention to a commercial career, which ended up being an “extremely successful” move thanks to his holding company, Isiah International LLC, which “operates a portfolio of businesses in dozens of industries, most notably recycling and waste disposal”. He is also the force behind Isiah Thomas Real Estate and is the majority owner of a printing company called American Speedy Printing Centers Inc., which he “helped emerge from bankruptcy, becoming one of the largest printing franchises from the country”.

That experience with financial affairs is likely how he ended up serving on the Chicago Stock Exchange Board of Governors from 1999 to 2002, and one reason he has amassed an enviable personal fortune.

Isiah Thomas’ enormous fortune is not as great as other former NBA stars

Ethan Miller, Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Thanks to Isiah Thomas’ well-paid days playing in the NBA, as well as his various lucrative businesses, the former successful athlete and businessman is estimated to have around $ 100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Awesome? Without a doubt! Does this mean that he has more money than other current and former NBA stars, including his famous enemy, Michael Jordan? No, not even remotely!

Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant have $ 170 million to shoot, while Shaquille O’Neal has much more, with $ 400 million to his name. According to lines.com LeBron James has already made $ 480 million (and frankly, makes $ 100 million per year, which is the same amount that Thomas has earned throughout his career), while legendary player Kobe Bryant had around $ 600 million at the time of his death in January 2024, which is the same amount that Magic Johnson is believed to have. However, none of these numbers can compare to Jordan, who is sitting at a whopping $ 1.9 billion. Yes, billion.

So having $ 100 million is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and it would be an amount of money that most people could only dream of winning, seemingly only a fraction of what other NBA stars have been able to contribute.