The NBA is the most lucrative basketball league in the world and its players can earn an incredible wage. Stephen Curry is currently the highest paid player in the league with a contract worth around $52 million with Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic all earning around $47.6 million.
It is a high performing, and paying, league with the average salary being close to an eye-watering $9.7 million. While the stars who earn the big contracts may dictate the NBA betting lines somewhat, there are no easy games with every top basketball player all over the world looking to get their spot on an NBA side.
While each and every player in the NBA will train hard for their career, it doesn’t mean they can’t find tome for other interests and side hustles to keep them happy and motivated.
LeBron James
Having brought an NBA Championship to the city with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lebron James continues to build his legacy in the city off the court as a producer in Hollywood. Founded in 2015, The SpringHill Company which has seen him produce and even act in Space Jam 2 as well as the production of different Films and Television Shows.
Not only has he gone into the entertainment industry, but James also partnered up with teammate Anthony Davis and a number of other ‘celebs’ to launch Lobos 1707 Tequila.
Damian Lillard
The new addition at the Milwaukee Bucks is creating a devastating 1-2 partnership with the Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. Off the court though you’ll find Lillard going by the name Dame Dolla and has released three rap albums.
Now 33 years old, Lillard has enjoyed some success in his rap career where his debut album The Letter O in 2015 charted on the Billboard 200. His third album, Big Dolla, featured the likes of Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg even joined in on Lillard’s single ‘Kobe’.
Chris Paul
The Golden State Warrior point guard, and former fourth overall pick, is well known for being cool with the ball at his hands, but he also takes this off the court and too the alley. The Bowling Alley that is, where he has set up his own professional bowling team and also has helped start the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational which sees celebrities, athletes and professional bowlers’ team up to raise money for the Chris Paul Family Foundation.
Jimmy Butler
After finding happiness in Miami after some moves which didn’t really work out for him in the NBA, Butler is really living his best life in the Sunshine State with the Miami Heat. During lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemicButler started charging people $20 for coffee while holed up in the bubble at Disney World. What started as a bit of fun has turned into Bigface, a coffee and lifestyle brand selling coffee and apparel directly to consumers through their online store as well as pop-up shops.
James Harden
Now looking to get the Los Angeles Clippers out from under the Los Angeles Lakers shadow, Harden is a true NBA star playing for a team back in his home state for the first time as an NBA player.
During his stint from 2012 to 2021 with the Houston Rockets, Harden started up a little side hustle with the local MLS side, the Houston Dynamo and NWSL side Houston Dash. He saw the league exploding in popularity and became part of the ownership group with the club, and the Houston Dynamo even made it all the way into the MLS Conference Semi Finals in 2023 and will hope to build on that in 2024.
Yao Ming
The former number one overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, retired back in 2011. He represented the Rockets for the whole time he played in the NBA where he was a eight time NBA All-Star and NBA All-Rookie First Team pick and eventually had his number retired as well by the Houston Rockets in respect for his career.
Alongside being a star centre in the NBA, and while it may not be strictly a “side-hustle” it’s worth noting that he partnered with WildAid to directly help save sharks in China who were under threat due to the Shark Fin Soup delicacy which treats sharks in an unbelievable inhumane manner.
While being in the NBA may provide a longer career than in other sports like the NFL, an athlete’s career is still short, and each player is aware of the time which will come afterwards.
The mental side of a pro athlete revolves around pushing themselves and never giving up, which is often why these side hustles exist and will be part of what they do once they have to retire from the league.
With their high wages, their side hustles can become realities and careers and each player has shown a desire to go down varied routes.