Life has a funny way of taking us where we least expect—but sometimes, that’s exactly where we’re meant to be. Adrian Dantley dominated the NBA, proving doubters wrong at every turn. But after all the glory, he found true happiness in the most unexpected place. An NBA legend who made nearly $3.5 million in his career now earns about $14,000 a year in his new job. And he’s completely satisfied! Baffling right? Those who truly know Adrian Dantley understand that this is just who he is.

In ninth grade, his history teacher couldn’t believe it when Dantley scored a 99 on a test while his classmates struggled to reach 80. The teacher assumed that he had cheated. Be it his skills or basketball talent, his abilities were doubted. But those witnessed the legend’s lethal game understand that what seems impossible to others has always come naturally to him. Dantley had the record of 33rd most points (23,177) in NBA history.

After a legendary NBA career, he now works in a role far removed from the league. Where is he now and what is the job that he prefers more to the analyst or coaching jobs that most players take up after retirement?

Adrian Dantley prefers a quiet school job

Dantley’s love for the sport began during his childhood while staying with his mother in Washington, D.C. He was just three years old when his parents got divorced. From the young age of 12, he dedicated himself to basketball. Quiet and calm-minded, he preferred to keep to himself. Even his mother didn’t know what he felt inside. “Even when Adrian was a child, you couldn’t figure him out. You couldn’t get him to smile even then. I still ask him, ‘How is everything?’ Because with him, you can never tell,” Dantley’s mother, Virginia said during her conversation with writer Thomas Bonk.

Throughout his life, he surprised the people around him by doing things no one expected him to be able to do. “At every level, I wasn’t supposed to do what I did. But I did,” he told the Dallas Morning News once. And he was right. When everyone thought Dantley wasn’t tall enough to excel in the sport, he proved them wrong by leading DeMatha High School to a combined 57-2 record. He went on to earn high school All-America honors.

Ball-dominant and a brilliant offensive player, he had a lethal combination of strength and agility that baffled his opponents. Standing tall at 6’5″, he was a true scorer. So, it wasn’t surprising that he chose a simple yet important job years after his retirement. For the last 10 years and more, he has been working as a referee and crossing guard at a school. He did take up coaching after his retirement. But after spending years playing for the Utah Jazz and then as an assistant coach, he found peace in his job as a crossing guard in Maryland. He enjoyed the job.

Speaking on the Utah Jazz’s official YouTube channel, the 2x NBA scoring champion said, “I think I’ve been doing this for 10 years. 10 years [and] Probably do it till I go under.”  An IG post by courtsidebuzzig wrote, “Dantley says he doesn’t need the money, but loves his job, being a part of the community, & teaching the next generation about basketball through referring.” Following his retirement, he also coached the Denver Nuggets but he loves this job where he gets to inspire young kids. As the NBA legend turned 70 in 2025, it’s worth taking a look back at his stellar career. 

Adrian Dantley is a real hero!

Despite people doubting his skills, he never stopped putting in the work. He finally secured a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame and had a stellar collegiate career. He holds the school record of 615 free throws. One of the iconic moments from his college career remains when he played a crucial role in breaking UCLA’s record 88-game winning streak in 1974.

Dantley was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in the 1976 NBA Draft. Surprisingly, the Rookie of the Year was then traded to the Indiana Pacers the following year. Dantley joined the Lakers in the 1977–78 season and was just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, averaging 19.4 points. The best years of his career came when he joined the Utah Jazz and averaged more than 30 points. During his seven years with the Jazz, he made six All-Star appearances and earned other accolades. He was the NBA scoring champion twice. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2008.

The 1973 Mr. Basketball USA was ranked fifth on the NBA’s all-time list for free throws made (6,832) during his retirement. “Utah is where it started. It was a great career. I enjoyed it. I love Utah, you know when I used to tell people, ‘I love Utah.’….I really like the people out there,” he once said about his love for the city. However, he later went to the Detroit Pistons and then Dallas Mavericks before finally hanging up his jersey.

Dantley also had a short stint in Italy before joining as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland. His dedication to contributing to the community is something that will inspire many.