NBA legend Michael Jordan, noted for his role in the Chicago Bulls dynasty, was in a category of his own. He revolutionized the sport with his mind-boggling plays and captivated the crowd so efficiently that perhaps no one could match. As a result of this, soon he climbed the stairs of success and became a billionaire 32 years after making his debut in the league. However, in a 1993 interview, the Bulls legend admitted that money didn’t drive his NBA career.

MJ grew up in a poor environment. However, soon he found a way with the help of basketball. Though with basketball, His Airness bagged a lot of money, he made it clear in 1993 that money was not the primary factor in joining the NBA.

Michael Jordan admitted money was not the primary reason to join the NBA

In a 1993 post-retirement interview with former CNN reporter Larry King, Jordan notified that he didn’t join the NBA for money. During the interview, King asked the six-time champion whether basketball was his hobby or just a job, and the 14x All-Star said, “Quite frankly when you look at it we get millions and millions of dollars to play the game that we’ve been playing since we were kids”

Subsequently, he added, “I always treated it as the game that I have enjoyed and even if I didn’t get paid a dollar, I did still play the game somewhere. That’s how much my love was for the game.” The now 59-year-old continued, “I was very fortunate…I didn’t really want a job so I was very fortunate that basketball became that income that a job would have been.”

Even if the six-time champion didn’t generate any income from the league he did still play somewhere else. But at the same, MJ was thankful that he was able to earn some money from the league.

How much money did Jordan earn from the league?

Following his debut in the league in 1984, Jordan only made $550k. However, the 14-time All-Star’s salary reached seven figures in the 1988-89 season when he signed an eight-year contract extension worth $25.7 million. Then, in 1996, he became the highest-paid player in the NBA after inking a one-year contract with the Bulls worth $30.1 million. Surprisingly, in his last season in Chicago, His Airness earned $33.1 million with his contract.

Read more- “I Use Him..to Hide Myself”: Ridden with Spite over Getting Cut Off, Michael Jordan Once Resorted to Petty Antics Just to Gain Some Mental Peace

During his time with the Washington Wizards, the six-time champion earned $1 million per year. However, he donated the entire salary of his first season with the Wizards. Therefore, in his 19-year career, Jordan roughly earned $94 million just from the contracts.

Watch this story- What 3 numbers did Michael Jordan wear in his career

What are your thoughts on the remarks made by Jordan? Let us know in the comments below.