Forgotten Pistons star richer than Shaq and Curry is worth $500m and wealthiest player you’ve never heard of
Vinnie Johnson achieved a lot as an NBA player.
Nicknamed 'the Microwave' for his ability to score quickly off the bench, Johnson was a member of the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons in the late '80s and early '90s that won back-to-back NBA titles.
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The former guard was selected with the 7th overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft after a collegiate career at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, and Baylor.
He was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics and two years later was a member of the Pistons.
The 6ft 2in star was mainly a sixth man and would usually come off the bench for either Isiah Thomas or Joe Dumars.
He was part of the no-nonsense Pistons squad that roughed Michael Jordan up during his early years with their uncompromising 'Jordan Rules'.
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In the 1990 NBA Finals, Johnson made a championship-clinching 14-foot shot with 0.7 seconds left to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92-90 in Game 5.
That captured Detroit's second straight world title and earned Johnson the nickname '007.'
He spent the latter part of his career with the San Antonio Spurs and retired in 1992 with 11,825 points, 3,212 assists and 3,109 rebounds for his career.
Johnson's No. 15 jersey was also retired by the Pistons organization.
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He famously only earned around $6 million during his basketball career between 1979 and 1992.
Now, the 68-year-old is worth an estimated $500 million, meaning he's richer than Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal ($400 million net worth) as well as current stars Steph Curry ($180 million) and Kevin Durant ($300 million).
After retiring, Johnson founded an automotive company called the Piston Group in 1995 - the world's largest value add assembly supplier.
The company achieved huge success supplying car parts for major international companies, particularly the Ford Motor Company and General Motors.
Forgotten Milwaukee Bucks star Junior Bridgeman is the richest NBA player due to $600 million fast food empire
Johnson is founder, chairman and CEO of the company, and has accumulated a staggering personal net worth.
The Piston Group generates around $3 billion in annual revenue and employs over 11,500 people in 3.5 million square feet of facilities around the US.
Johnson has also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the joint ventures JL Automotive, LLC and PASA Modules, LLC.
In addition to his philanthropy and charity work, Vinnie is a member of the Michigan Minority Business Development Council, and the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.
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It's fair to say Johnson has done pretty well for himself.
His success off the court, at least financially, far exceeds what he managed on the court.
Johnson's business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit has seen him generate hundreds of millions of dollars and become one of the richest former athletes in the world.
One you've probably not even heard of.
Johnson still has a way to go to catch the wealthiest NBA stars of all time.
Three current/former NBA players are currently billionaires: LeBron James ($1bn), Earvin 'Magic' Johnson ($1.2bn) and Michael Jordan ($3bn).
Jordan reached billionaire status in 2016. His immensely popular Jordan brand, famous for the Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, is a large reason why.
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Johnson is also not as rich as another forgotten NBA star.
Former Milwaukee Bucks star Junior Bridgeman made 'only' $350,000 a year during his playing days.
But he became richer than Shaquille O'Neal with an eye-popping $600 million fortune.
Sadly, Bridgeman passed away in March at the age of 71.
“I am devastated to learn of the sudden passing of Junior Bridgeman," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
"Junior was the ultimate entrepreneur who built on his impactful 12-year NBA playing career by becoming a highly respected and successful business leader. He served as a mentor to generations of NBA players and athletes across sports who were eager to learn from him about what it takes to thrive in the business world.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to Junior’s wife, Doris, their children, Eden, Justin and Ryan, the Bucks organization, and his many friends and admirers in the basketball community.”
Steph Curry, meanwhile, had made his $180 million fortune on and off the court.
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In 2017, the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers signed the league's first $200 million contract with the Golden State Warriors.
In 2023, he received $75 million worth of shares in sportswear company Under Armour and became president of its Curry Brand, which sits under the Under Armour umbrella.
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