Michael Jordan at 23, discussed how some people thought he was underpaid. Despite having a net worth of over $3.2 billion, Michael Jordan mostly benefited from his special partnership with Nike. Even though he was the league’s top player for nearly ten years, he didn’t rank among the highest paid players until his last two Bulls seasons. The amount on the paychecks he earned from his team didn’t concern him, though.
Jordan stated in a 1986 interview with Sports Illustrated that he didn’t give a damn about the salary he received. In response to the discussions around his perceived low pay, he stated:
“Money is nothing to me. People say I’m underpaid, but that’s not a big issue. I’m playing.”
Michael Jordan’s rookie contract
Jordan was a rookie at the time and made an average of just $900,000 a season. This was little over one-third of what Magic Johnson, the highest-paid player in the NBA in 1986, was paid per year. Jordan, though, was focused on competing and winning rather than money. He even got the Bulls to include a “love of the game” clause in his contract, allowing him to participate in any exhibition or scrimmage that he wanted.
The clause was inserted because teams are constantly worried about one of their great players getting injured while participating in an unauthorized game. Jerry Krause, general manager of the Bulls, was even cited as saying:
“I would never offer that (clause) to another player.”
Nevertheless, Jordan was able to get it added to his contract, which considering how underpaid he was, seemed like a reasonable exchange.
