5 ms·

A 25% chance to make it into the NBA below average tier is pretty good. Even at that level you make way more money than you can make in most careers. I knew a g

A 25% chance to make it into the NBA below average tier is pretty good. Even at that level you make way more money than you can make in most careers. I knew a guy who made it to the NFL, rarely played and lost his contract after 3 years. He still was set for life.

crooked-v 3y ago
You're overlooking the kind of life-long medical expenses that can come from even a short career in pro sports, though. As soon as that teenage springiness and resilience is gone even minor injuries can add up fast.
- notyourwork 3y ago
  It's a choice, right? No one is forcing anyone to go into pro sports and I don't think anyone overlooks that. However, a lot of youth that end up in the pros come from distraught backgrounds where the prospect of a better life trumps physical wellbeing some time in the distant future.
- loloquwowndueo 3y ago
  This is why you retire before the springiness is gone. Or move to a country with sane health care.
- itishappy 3y ago
  You don't even have to go pro. My younger sis has had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical procedures from a few years of high-school running. Turns out even teenagers can have more motivation than springiness.
  - pxeboot 3y ago
    What happened? That does not seem typical for running, but serious injuries from higher impact sports is not unusual at all.
    - itishappy 3y ago
      They won. They won a lot. She graduated, then her hamstrings tore a couple of good sized chunks out of her pelvis. Doctors agree, it was one weird-ass injury (weird ass-injury). Surgery was only somewhat successful, and in retrospect doctors probably didn't fully understand the nature of her problem. It's now been about 6 years and as many surgeries and she's still dealing with complications. She's simultaneously surprisingly capable and surprisingly crippled. She can hike and bike, but cannot run or sit. Her goal at this point is simply to be able to sit through a lecture without pain. You're right, this is pretty atypical for runners in general, but unfortunately not for my high school team. Last I'd heard about 50% had been through at least one round of surgery in college, though my sister's definitely one of the worst for wear.
- l33tbro 3y ago
  Aren't you kind of presuming these people would not have injuries if they had chosen the non-academic vocation they're most likely qualified for? Any sustained outdoor work like landscaping, roofing, and plumbing is brutal on the body in the long-term. Even the salty old kitchen workers I've met eventually start falling to bits. Star athletes are also inculcated with a conscientiousness around health and fitness that desk jockeys and eggheads don't have the benefits of.
notyourwork 3y ago
Set for life because of the retirement I assume. Wonder how different leagues retirement pensions compare.
- InitialLastName 3y ago
  IF you take it at age 50, the NBA pension for eligible players (AIUI having been under contract at some point in at least 3 seasons) is ~$800/month for each season played (so minimum $2400/month). That's nothing to sniff at, but it isn't "never work again" money for someone who played a few years in the league (and many probably don't make it 3 years). Among other things, there's the 20+ years between when you stop playing and when you can take the pension to pay for.
TimPC 3y ago
Current salary structure has the minimum salary at: $750,000 for a rookie, $870,000 for 1 year experience and $940,000 for 2 years experience. That's $2,560,000 over three years before taxes. It's good money but it's probably not set for life money unless you're in an area where housing is dirt cheap in some parts of the country that basically pays for your house and nothing else after taxes. On the other hand if you're getting traumatic brain injury risk from NFL practice and/or play you may be quite limited in what you can do afterwards. Even worse if you try and make it big and get that traumatic brain injury from high-school or college pay before you get paid.
- cosmotic 3y ago
  2.5m is pleanty to live by. Buy a home, invest the rest. It's around 41k a year if you live to 85. Not sure how social security works for that sort of "career".
  - sodality2 3y ago
    It's closer to 1.37M after taxes depending on state/local taxes.
- moondev 3y ago
  These days you can skip a tier and start getting (officially) paid in college! However the previous rules were even better, allowing NBA teams to draft directly out of high school (LeBron, Kobe) Also there are quite a few "great" players in the graphic that should easily be unanimous superstars (Joel Embiid, Kyrie...)
nomel 3y ago
25% if you're one of the top 100 HS players in the nation, meaning you're already in the top .019%. This seems reasonable.

crooked-v 3y ago

You're overlooking the kind of life-long medical expenses that can come from even a short career in pro sports, though. As soon as that teenage springiness and resilience is gone even minor injuries can add up fast.

notyourwork 3y ago
It's a choice, right? No one is forcing anyone to go into pro sports and I don't think anyone overlooks that. However, a lot of youth that end up in the pros come from distraught backgrounds where the prospect of a better life trumps physical wellbeing some time in the distant future.
loloquwowndueo 3y ago
This is why you retire before the springiness is gone. Or move to a country with sane health care.
itishappy 3y ago
You don't even have to go pro. My younger sis has had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical procedures from a few years of high-school running. Turns out even teenagers can have more motivation than springiness.
- pxeboot 3y ago
  What happened? That does not seem typical for running, but serious injuries from higher impact sports is not unusual at all.
  - itishappy 3y ago
    They won. They won a lot. She graduated, then her hamstrings tore a couple of good sized chunks out of her pelvis. Doctors agree, it was one weird-ass injury (weird ass-injury). Surgery was only somewhat successful, and in retrospect doctors probably didn't fully understand the nature of her problem. It's now been about 6 years and as many surgeries and she's still dealing with complications. She's simultaneously surprisingly capable and surprisingly crippled. She can hike and bike, but cannot run or sit. Her goal at this point is simply to be able to sit through a lecture without pain. You're right, this is pretty atypical for runners in general, but unfortunately not for my high school team. Last I'd heard about 50% had been through at least one round of surgery in college, though my sister's definitely one of the worst for wear.
l33tbro 3y ago
Aren't you kind of presuming these people would not have injuries if they had chosen the non-academic vocation they're most likely qualified for? Any sustained outdoor work like landscaping, roofing, and plumbing is brutal on the body in the long-term. Even the salty old kitchen workers I've met eventually start falling to bits. Star athletes are also inculcated with a conscientiousness around health and fitness that desk jockeys and eggheads don't have the benefits of.

notyourwork 3y ago

Set for life because of the retirement I assume. Wonder how different leagues retirement pensions compare.

InitialLastName 3y ago
IF you take it at age 50, the NBA pension for eligible players (AIUI having been under contract at some point in at least 3 seasons) is ~$800/month for each season played (so minimum $2400/month). That's nothing to sniff at, but it isn't "never work again" money for someone who played a few years in the league (and many probably don't make it 3 years). Among other things, there's the 20+ years between when you stop playing and when you can take the pension to pay for.

TimPC 3y ago

Current salary structure has the minimum salary at: $750,000 for a rookie, $870,000 for 1 year experience and $940,000 for 2 years experience. That's $2,560,000 over three years before taxes. It's good money but it's probably not set for life money unless you're in an area where housing is dirt cheap in some parts of the country that basically pays for your house and nothing else after taxes. On the other hand if you're getting traumatic brain injury risk from NFL practice and/or play you may be quite limited in what you can do afterwards. Even worse if you try and make it big and get that traumatic brain injury from high-school or college pay before you get paid.

cosmotic 3y ago
2.5m is pleanty to live by. Buy a home, invest the rest. It's around 41k a year if you live to 85. Not sure how social security works for that sort of "career".
- sodality2 3y ago
  It's closer to 1.37M after taxes depending on state/local taxes.
moondev 3y ago
These days you can skip a tier and start getting (officially) paid in college! However the previous rules were even better, allowing NBA teams to draft directly out of high school (LeBron, Kobe) Also there are quite a few "great" players in the graphic that should easily be unanimous superstars (Joel Embiid, Kyrie...)

nomel 3y ago

25% if you're one of the top 100 HS players in the nation, meaning you're already in the top .019%. This seems reasonable.