The Impressive Career Earnings Of The 1996 NBA Draft Class
The 1996 NBA Draft class is considered one of the best in history. 47 of 58 players have appeared in the league, and 23 of them have had careers that have lasted at least 10 years. The power of the stars is also impressive. Kobe Bryant led the way, but this class also included Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Ray allen, Jermaine O’Neal, and Stephon Marbury.
A third of the first-round picks later became NBA All-Stars, and the class even produced an undrafted All-Star to Ben Wallace. Several players also won the title of defensive player of the year (Wallace and Marcus Camby) and the category 96 gave us twice five champions at Bryant and Derek Fisher.
It may not be really a surprise that this class project paid.
Among the top ten picks, nine have made at least $ 55 million in their careers. While these top picks are all good NBA players, the top two players were selected later in the first round.
Kobe Bryant was taken 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, then immediately traded to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. In a big simulation moment, the business almost fell because Divac threatened to retire, rather than leave LA But Divac finally gave in and Bryant joined the Lakers, becoming a Hall of Fame en route to five championships.
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Meanwhile, little-known Santa Clara Steve Nash finished 15th overall in the Phoenix Suns. He then joined forces with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas before returning to Phoenix. He then ended his career playing alongside Bryant with the Lakers.
So how much money have some of these players withdrawn?
The five from Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Jermaine O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury, who have played 83 seasons combined, have grossed nearly $ 1 billion in their careers. They collected a total of just under $ 987 million over 20 years.
For a deeper dive, here’s a look at the career gains of each player in this class who has made an All-Star team. Collectively, they made a whopping $ 1,648,188,756 – almost $ 1.65 billion.
Kobe Bryant – $ 328,238,062
Ray Allen – $ 184,356,410
Jermaine O’Neal – $ 168,794,021
Allen Iverson – $ 154,494,445
Stephon Marbury – $ 151,115,945
Steve Nash – $ 146,936,620
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – $ 124,487,723
Antoine Walker – $ 108,142,015
Peja Stojakovic – $ 97,956,720
Shareef Abdur-Rahim – $ 95,866,000
Ben Wallace (undrafted) – $ 87,800,795
