John Salley's net worth: How rich is the former basketball player?

John Salley's net worth: How rich is the former basketball player?

Kevin Omuya
updated at February 3, 2024 at 10:29 AM

John Salley was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises and the first player in the NBA to win a championship in three decades. The American retired from being a professional basketball player and delved into acting and talk show hosting. John Salley's net worth increased despite his retirement from the sport.

John Salley
John Salley at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in February 2015 (Left) and during the 1989-1990 NBA season. Photo: Jonathan Daniel, Robin Marchant/ Getty Images (modified by author)
Source: Original

In addition to his business endeavours, Salley has maintained a presence in the entertainment industry as an actor and commentator. His involvement in various projects has increased his financial success and solidified his reputation as a multi-talented individual.

Profile summary

Title

Details

Full name

John Salley

Gender

Male

Date of birth

May 16, 1964

Place of birth

Brooklyn, New York, US

Age

59 years old as of 2024

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

Black

Height

2.11m (6'11")

Weight

116kg (255lbs)

Marital status

Married

Wife

Natasha Duffy

Children

3

Profession

Retired professional basketball player

Net worth

$14 million

Social media

Instagram, X(Twitter)

How old is John Salley?

Is John Salley Married?
Natasha Duffy, John Salley and family attend the Cedars-Sinai and Sports Spectacular's 34th Annual Gala at The Compound on July 15, 2019, in Inglewood, California. Photo: Emma McIntyre
Source: Getty Images

John Salley was born on 16 May 1964 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, and he was 59 years old at the time of writing. In addition to being an American citizen, he also identifies as African-American. His parents' names are Mazie and Quillie Salley. The three Salley siblings are Ron, Jerry, and Willjay.

Is John Salley married?

Natasha Duffy has been Salley's spouse since 1993. Along with Salley's daughter from a prior relationship, they have two children together. His daughter is Taya Salley. The media does not know who his other children are. John and Natasha's marriage has lasted for more than twenty years.

John Salley's net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the former American professional basketball player and media personality's net worth is $14 million as of January 2024.

John Salley's career-earnings

Throughout his time in the NBA, John Salley earned $15.5 million, as per Essentially Sports. That would be equivalent to about $25 million in today's money. He earned his highest salary in the 1994–1995 season while playing for the Miami Heat.

Playing alongside Jordan, winning four titles, and other projects Salley was a part of were recently discussed on Byron Scott's podcast. And he was even bringing up the topic of modern players' salaries. He said,

My contract was big. I had $230,000… I didn’t have no money. Dudes are spending that now on cars. This guy with 10 cars, and six of them cost what I got paid my whole year… And they don’t even drive.

John Salley's cars

John Salley Cars
Former NBA Star John Salley sits in his car before qualifying for the Pro/Celebrity Race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13, 2007, in Long Beach, California. Photo: Doug Gifford
Source: Getty Images

John, the only NBA player to win championship rings with three different teams (Detroit, Chicago and the L.A. Lakers), is a media personality now. He has appeared in movies and has a regular radio gig in Los Angeles.

He was one of the celebrity drivers for the Cars.com sponsored “Fast Cars & Superstars — Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race” in 2007 and appeared in 3 episodes. He matched up against professional wrestler John Cena and tennis star Serena Williams.

John Salley's house

The star for the Detroit Pistons once owned an estate, and according to reports, the mansion was sold for $2.5 million in 2017.

Completed in the middle of the 1920s, it served the Archdiocese of Detroit. The mansion has 12 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. It exudes timeless elegance with its lofty ceilings and magnificent foyer. Situated on two acres of land, this home is part of the Palmer Woods neighbourhood.

John Salley's career

John Salley Net Worth Forbes
Chicago Bulls John Salley (Red) rebounds vs Orlando Magic Joe Wolf (12) at Orlando Arena on May 2, 1996. Photo: Manny
Source: Getty Images

Canarsie High School in Brooklyn is where John got his start in varsity basketball. He then participated in the College of Management basketball program at Georgia Tech. His jersey number 22, which he wore while attending Georgia Tech, was retired in his honour. He also holds the record for most personal fouls. In 1986, he started playing basketball professionally.

As a first-round NBA draft pick in 1986, Salley was taken by the Detroit Pistons. He was a member of the two Pistons NBA championship teams in 1989 and 1990.

During Chuck Daly's coaching tenure, he was part of the Pistons' era—the team's three-year run to the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat acquired John in a trade in 1992, and in the expansion draft in 1995, they failed to protect him.

After a brief appearance with the first Toronto Raptors team, he bought out his contract, where he saw limited action. After that, John joined the Chicago Bulls, where he shared the court with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoč, Dennis Rodman and James Edwards, former teammates from the Pistons.

He retired after winning the 1995–96 championship. After retiring, he returned to the court in 1996, playing seven games for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League.

John signed with the Lakers of Los Angeles in 1999. He was the driving force behind the 2000–2002 Lakers championship run, during which they won three in a row. 2000, after the first Lakers championship season, he retired again.

John Salley's achievements

John Salley's achievements
John Salley of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the NBA championship trophy on his head after winning the NBA Finals Game 6 against the Indiana Pacers in Indiana. Photo: Ezra O. Shaw
Source: Getty Images

John gained prominence as a skilled and versatile basketball player, contributing to the success of several NBA teams during his career. Salley played in the NBA for 15 seasons, from 1986 to 2000. He played for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers.

John began his professional basketball career with the Detroit Pistons and won four championships. The 'Bad Boys,' in which he was a key cog, won the titles in 1989 and 1990. In his later years, he won a championship with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. He later joined forces with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to become a champion with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Final word

Salley, renowned for his successful career in the NBA, spanning 15 seasons with various teams, has diversified his interests post-basketball. John Salley's net worth is not solely attributed to his contributions on the court but also to his involvement in acting, hosting, and entrepreneurial ventures.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.