In sports, despite the NBA's indisputable dominance in the basketball world, it is not the most influential on a global scale. Even within the United States, the NBA can only rank third behind the NHL. The real hegemon is the NFL. Despite its relatively low influence, the NBA is far ahead of other sports leagues when it comes to player treatment and benefits.
According to statistics from Genuine Impact, the NBA's average annual salary for players in the 2022-23 season reached $8.32 million, ranking first in the world. In comparison, the second-ranked Indian Premier League (IPL) has an average annual salary of just around $5.32 million, nearly $3 million behind. In the U.S., the average annual salary of a player in the NBA even exceeds that of the NFL ($3.26 million) and the MLB ($4.03 million) combined.
The NBA's player salary level shows a year-on-year trend. With the signing and entry into force of a new broadcast contract in 2025, the total value of the contract is expected to reach $70 billion, and the NBA's player salary and average salary will skyrocket again. At that time, the maximum salary of players will generally exceed $300 million, while the starting salary of mid-range players will also reach $15 million.
Due to the good revenue situation of the NBA, the welfare policy has also performed quite well, and the pension system is a significant highlight. This system was proposed and established as early as 1965, and after years of rule improvement, it was not until 2011 that it really became an important guarantee for NBA players after retirement.
Eligibility for pensions is not available to all players, and only players who have played three or more seasons in the NBA are eligible. The move is intended to provide a solid retirement benefit for players who have contributed a lot to the league.
In order to ensure the quality of retirement life, the NBA stipulates the requirements for receiving a pension. Players will not be able to claim until they are 45 years old, but they can also choose to start claiming at a later date such as 55 or 62 years old, so that the amount received will increase accordingly and provide more financial support for the player.
Regarding the calculation of the amount of pension, according to the collective bargaining agreement, the base amount of the NBA is 306 per month$34. The actual amount received by the player is determined by Equation 306The $34 is multiplied by the number of years a player has played in the NBA, although in practice there will be slight differences depending on the age at which they receive the claim (45, 50 and 62).
Overall, the NBA provides players with a stable life after retirement through a sound pension system, demonstrating respect and reward for players' long-term dedication.
So far, only six players in China – Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhizhi, Battle, Sun Yue and Zhou Qi – have played in the NBA. However, only four people are eligible for an NBA pension. Sun Yue and Zhou Qi failed to meet the conditions for receiving pensions because of their insufficient years of service.
Sun Yue has announced his retirement, so he lost the opportunity to receive an NBA pension. The young Zhou Qi is still in the middle of his career, and he is expected to step back on the NBA stage. So far, Zhou Qi has been in the NBA for two seasons, and only needs to play one more year to qualify for an NBA pension. However, this is not an easy task.
Battle receives a pension of about 70,000 RMB per year. He entered the 1998 NBA Draft and was invited to Chicago for a joint tryout. However, he was not selected due to physical conditions and language barriers, among other reasons. Despite this, Battle has not given up on trying to achieve his NBA dream. Before signing a formal contract with the Nuggets in 2002, he played in the Suns' training camp and played in preseason games for the Nuggets.
For Battle, it was a blessing to be able to play in the NBA. At first, he performed well with the Nuggets and even became the team's starting center. However, with the Nuggets selecting Nene in the 2002 draft, Battle was traded to the Spurs in the 2002 offseason. In the 2002-2003 season, the Spurs won the championship, and Battle received his championship ring.
In the 2003 offseason, the Raptors offered Battle a base-salary contract in the hope of finding some new energy in him. However, alas, Battle didn't stay with the Raptors for long, cutting in less than a season. After that, he tried to join other teams, but in the end he was unable to do so. Therefore, in 2004, he decided to retire from the NBA.
Although his NBA career was not very long, he only played three seasons, two of which were not very long. However, that full season with the Spurs was also a career experience. Statistics show that he can contribute an average of 34 points, 25 rebounds, 06 assists, 02 steals and 01 cap.
Battle played three seasons in the NBA, which determined the monthly pension he would later receive. According to the regulations, he can receive about $919 per month. If calculated according to the age of 50, this means that he can get a pension of about 11,028 US dollars per year, which is about 70,000 yuan.
As for Wang Zhizhi, his NBA road can be described as tortuous. In the 1999 draft, he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 37th pick in the second round. However, due to the fact that there was no precedent for Chinese players to play in the NBA at that time, and the lack of corresponding rules, coupled with his military status, the Bayi team was unwilling to let him go easily. Therefore, Dazhi could only play in the CBA for two more years, and it was not until the 00-01 season that the Chinese Basketball Association and the Bayi team agreed to let him play in the NBA.
In April 2001, Wang Zhizhi signed a formal player contract to join the Mavericks, which was also the beginning of his season. With the end of the 00-01 season, he signed a one-year contract with the Mavericks in the '01 offseason. However, in the 01-02 season, Wang Zhizhi did not get too many opportunities to play, and his performance on the field was not satisfactory. As a result, at one point, at the end of that season, no team was willing to sign him to another contract.
In order to stay in the NBA and improve his strength, Wang Zhizhi decided to stay in the United States in the summer of 2002 for special training. But that means he won't be able to take part in the national team's training camp. However, it was at this time that a "no return" incident provoked by an American ** reporter broke out, resulting in Wang Zhizhi being expelled from the national team by the Basketball Association. Despite this dilemma, Wang Zhizhi eventually won the favor of the Clippers with his performance in the summer league and signed a three-year, $6 million contract.
In the following 02-03 season, Wang Zhizhi played 41 games for the Clippers, but his playing time and performances were quite limited, which led to his gradual marginalization within the team. In the 03-04 season, Wang Zhizhi was cut after only two appearances for the Clippers. However, he didn't end his NBA career and quickly signed with the Heat. In the following season and a half, Wang Zhizhi has been playing for the Heat, which can be regarded as a successful end to his NBA career.
Wang's NBA career lasted five seasons, which also means he will earn about 1531$7 pension. This time, regardless of success or difficulty, has made Wang Zhizhi's journey as a player.
Dazhi, as a legend in the history of Chinese basketball, his NBA career may not be as brilliant as people expect. However, based on the calculation of receiving at the age of 50, Dazhi can receive 1531 a month7 US dollars, a year is 18,380 US dollars, equivalent to about 11 yuanAbout 70,000 yuan.
Another high-profile player, Yi Jianlian, is also the pride of Chinese basketball. In the 2007 NBA Draft, he was selected by Xiong with the No. 6 pick in the first round, becoming the highest-ranked player in China since Yao Ming. Despite his physical talents, Yi's NBA career lasted only five seasons due to frequent injuries and personality issues.
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Despite this, with that high four-year rookie contract, Yi Jianlian still earned a considerable salary from the NBA, which was converted to nearly 100 million yuan. Although his NBA performance has not been smooth sailing, he has also shown excellent performances on the court, especially in the first half of his rookie season and the '09-10 season with the Nets.
Similar to Dazhi, Yi Jianlian's NBA career also only lasted five seasons, so his standard pension amount is also 15317 dollars. Although these players have experienced setbacks on the road to the NBA, their struggles and contributions will always be remembered in the history of Chinese basketball.
In the case of starting a pension at the age of 50, he can get 1531 per month$7, and the annual income reaches $18,380, which is equivalent to about $1170,000 RMB.
Yao Ming, the Chinese NBA player with the highest draft pick, the longest career, and the most significant achievements. Judging from the current development trend of Chinese basketball, it is difficult for anyone to surpass him in the next two or three decades. Although this statement is a compliment to Yao Ming, it also implies a disappointment with the development of Chinese basketball.
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In 2001, Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets with the first pick. In July 2011, Yao Ming officially announced his retirement, earning a total of $93.39 million in his nine-season career, equivalent to 6400 million RMB. He averaged 19 points per game, 92 rebounds, 16 assists, 19 steals and 04 caps. Individual honors include an eight-time All-Star, a two-time All-Second Team selection, a three-time All-Three Team selection, and a two-time Player of the Month award. In 2016, Yao Ming was successfully inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.
When he was healthy, Yao Ming had the potential to become the NBA's No. 1 center. However, since the 04-05 season, he has not been able to stay fit. In the 08-09 season, the Rockets led by Yao Ming showed the strength of the championship, but in the Western Conference semifinals, Yao Ming withdrew from the game due to injury, resulting in the Rockets losing to the Lakers in the tie-break and missing the championship.
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Although Yao Ming's basketball career is not high in terms of salary income, his ability to attract money is unmatched. Every year, he earns millions of dollars just by relying on advertising endorsements. Even though he has retired, there are still many well-known companies vying to invite him to endorse, and the endorsement fee he receives has always been high. Over the years, Yao Ming's personal worth has accumulated at least billions of yuan.
In the nine seasons that Yao played in the NBA, his standard monthly pension amount was 306$34 multiplied by nine seasons, that's $2757. Considering Yao Ming's worth, he can choose to start receiving his pension at the age of 62, so that he can get 1. per month$670,000, equivalent to $20 a year040,000 US dollars. At the current exchange rate, this is 20040,000 US dollars, about 1.38 million yuan.
Yao Ming's fame and influence are not only reflected on the court, but his success in the business world is also well known. His personal brand is well-known not only in China but also internationally. This makes him not only a basketball star, but also a business tycoon.