Paul Pierce balled out with his first check in the NBA.
Getting Drafted
The California native was drafted in 1998 by the Boston Celtics, where he would later win his first and only championship ring in 2008. He signed a four-year deal valued at $6.3 million, which amounted to an average salary of $1.6 million annually, per Spotrac.
Splurging First Check
Pierce said his first check in the NBA amounted to $1 million during his rookie year. However, most of it was gone within the blink of an eye.
“When I got drafted No. 10, my check for the year was $1 million,” Pierce said on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
“We had a lockout (a pause in pay during league negotiations), so cut that in half. So then $500,000, right? Taxes. Cut that in half. So really all I had was about like [$200,000].”
Shannon Sharpe, the podcast’s host, interjected about having to pay an agent, which would lower Pierce’s cut further.
“Yep. So knock that down,” Pierce said in response.
“I needed me an apartment to rent, probably $3,000 at the time in L.A. too and Boston… Man, when I tell you I had about, like my first year, I probably had about like $10,000 left,” he noted.
“My mom, I hardly gave her anything that first year… I didn’t even get her a house my first year,” Pierce continued.
Later on, he did get his mother a house, stating that they would cruise around Beverly Hills, CA, in her dream Cadillac that he also purchased for her.
Pierce’s contracts moving forward were significantly higher than in his initial years, peaking at $79.3 million between 2002 and 2006 and $61.3 million between 2010 and 2013 — both contracts with the Boston Celtics, notes Spotrac. His total career earnings amount to $195.1 million across four teams.
He admitted to still splurging on family, friends, and a girlfriend, and noted he was blessed to not have to rely on his NBA earnings because he had endorsements.
“I was fortunate enough to have some endorsements. So, I used to use my endorsement money. I used that to pay for that. Put my NBA money over here,” he explained on the podcast.
