With the NBA's intensive media coverage, nothing ever escapes fans. This includes how much each player makes, with networks disclosing their salaries down to the last cent. Naturally, this has led many to believe that every player in the big leagues is wealthy. Young players also expect to live the life once they sign that contract.
However, that is not always the case. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green learned this early in his career.
Long before he even set foot on the court for the Warriors, he learned a lesson in both humility and fiscal savvy when he applied for a loan, was approved and received less than half of the amount he had signed up for.
Don't get it twisted: the NBA is a place where young men can improve their lives using their God-given basketball skills. With the staggering salaries today's players earn, they can truly accrue wealth that can last for generations. However, that wasn't necessarily the case for Green, who the Warriors selected in the second round (35th overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Because of his draft stature, Green's first contract was for three years, $2.6 million. Granted, getting paid $850,000 a year isn't small fry, especially for someone who came from virtually nothing. But at the same time, the outspoken power forward also realized that it wasn't as much as he thought it would be.
"Now, what most people don't know is they see when you sign an NBA contract. They come across the screen, 'Such-and-such signed for three years, $80 million, or whatever it is. So my first contract — I was a second-round pick, the 35th pick — my first contract was three years, $2.6 million," Green narrated . "My family saw that come across the screen, and everyone else saw that come across, and they think you got $2.6 million dollars right away."
Green opened up that that wasn't the case. As a matter of fact, after getting drafted in June, he didn't get his first check until November, which meant he had to find a way to earn some money to stem the tide.
"If you're not a top-five pick, you're not getting shoe money. You're not getting all of these other deals. So now you have to find a way to bridge that gap," he recalled.
Being a second-round pick meant Green didn't get any shoe or endorsement deals that would have greatly helped him. Fortunately, the NBA allows players to take out up to 15 percent of their salary in advance, which, in Green's case, amounted to $60,000.
In Green's mind, that amount should've been more than enough to last him for a few months. But because he didn't yet have enough knowledge of taxes, he believed he would receive exactly $60,000. Boy, was he wrong.
"I'm excited. I'm like, 'I've never seen $28,000.' And it's right there. So I called my agent and I said, 'Yo, this is amazing. It's $28,000 in my bank account, but where's [the other]32? Like, I'm missing some money. But this is coming, right?'" Green remembered.
"He's like, 'Well, you know... taxes.' Like, 'What you talking... what are you talking about?' Like, 'Yeah, I'm supposed to get money back from checks.' He's like, 'Yeah, you're no longer in the position where you're going to get money back from taxes.'"
That moment showed Green a lesson he carries with him to this day: whatever amount you thought you're getting from the NBA? You might as well cut it in half.
"Half of it is going to the government. And that right there alone immediately taught me you don't have as much money as you think you have, and you won't have as much money as you think you're about to make," Green admitted. "That was really big for me."
While it's true that NBA players can make a lot of money, they also lose a lot to Uncle Sam. So, it's always prudent for them to develop wise spending and investment habits, always keeping an eye on the future. NBA careers don't last forever, and the money won't flow in as much as it used to when a player's basketball days are over.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
