Michael Jordan, the renowned player for the Chicago Bulls, is a sports icon unlike any other. He has had an incalculable impact on basketball culture and the NBA. In addition to being a legend in the sport, his name is also synonymous with the hottest shoe brand in the world, the one bearing his name.
After getting drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls, from his rookie season to the season when he won his first NBA championship in 1991, Jordan made a little over $6.8 million combined.
Of course, Jordan is best known for his six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. The specifics of his contract during the early years of his career are less well known (he was selected by the Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft), however, he had already become a legend by the 1990s, and his salary reflected it.
Jordan’s annual salary between 1990 and 1996, was in the neighborhood of $2.5 million to $4 million. (taking into account a gap between 1993 and 1995, when he took a break from playing.)
For the 1990-91 NBA season he made $2.5 million and $3.25 million in the following season. In the next two seasons, Jordan drew a salary of $4 million each year. In the 1994-95 and the 1995-1996 seasons he made $3.85 million in both years. While in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons he made a record $30.1 million and $33.1 million respectively. (via Spotrac)
Other than the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan also played for the Washington Wizards for 2 years before retiring. He made $1 million in 2001-02 and $1.03 million in 2002-03 after which he finally said goodbye to the NBA.
Michael Jordan has made over $93 million just from NBA salary
Out of his 15-season career, Jordan spent 13 of those with the Chicago Bulls. He had already become a legend by the time the 1990s arrived, and his compensation reflected it.
In 1996, Jordan became a free agent, which meant that the salary cap’s restrictions no longer applied; at the time, teams were permitted to sign or re-sign their own players by exceeding the salary cap. As a result, he was able to agree to a $30.1 million one-year deal for the 1996–97 campaign.
The method was subsequently carried out again for the 1997–1998 season when the salary cap was approximately $27 million. Jordan once more agreed to a one-year deal, this time for $33.1 million. This was Jordan’s highest single-season compensation in NBA history up until the beginning of the 2017 season when LeBron James and Steph Curry both earned more.