Despite earning $100 million, Jeff Teague details harsh reality of life after basketball: “Lot of us not qualified to do s**t!”
Jeff Teague earned $100 million, but the average NBA player lasts four years in the league and does not earn enough from his short contract.
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Jeff Teague believes basketball players struggle in life after they leave the NBA
The NBA has come a long way in becoming one of the most watched sports globally. That means money pours into the game as the likes of Jeff Teague have pocketed nearly $100 million during his career. Now there are many more like him as the salary cap keeps rising.
Jayson Tatum currently holds the richest contract at $315 million. He clarified that he will not touch that money until after he retires, suggesting he will live off his endorsements. That means money from endorsements is high enough for him to live an elaborate lifestyle.
His annual average salary comes to nearly $63 million. He is an exception to the rule though as the average salary in the league is around $10 million. Along with endorsements, that amount could be substantial.
But not all players are able to do that. Where it really hits them, is the lack of a skill outside of basketball. Former champion Jeff Teague detailed while on the Club 520 podcast as to how basketball players struggle with life outside of the game.
The average career is 4 years. In four years say you took home $2 million. You never learned s**t. If you don’t know how to do nothing else, what job are you going to do? A lot of us not qualified to do s**t besides playing and coaching basketball. That’s where the trouble happens.
Jeff Teague said
“A lot of us not qualified to do shit but basketball & that’s where the trouble come in when it’s over because the average career is only 4 years, 2M’s, you still gone have to work”
— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) February 18, 2025
Jeff Teague giving the real on NBA life a offering a valuable perspective. Club 520 best pod out pic.twitter.com/uyHxbFtEbp
He was essentially talking about how players do not know what to do other than in basketball. Players leave college after a year, which means they are not qualified. That hits those who do not have a long career in the NBA the hardest.
NBA could help players by going the WNBA route
There are countless stories of players going broke despite earning millions. One could easily point to the extravagant lifestyle they live as one of the primary reasons. But another reason is the severe lack of education.
WNBA players earn a small fraction of what NBA players do. But one will struggle to find a former women’s basketball player who is broke. They have learnt to keep money and also find alternative careers once their playing days are over.
There is also the point that out of hundreds of players graduating every year, the WNBA only drafts around 36. Only half of them get to continue in their new jobs once training camp closes. Those players are now without a job in basketball, but they move on.
Part of the reason is that the WNBA insists on drafting players who have or are about to reach the age of 22. This is only for players coming in through the NCAA. By that age, they complete their graduation and some even enroll for higher education.
This importance towards education is lacking in the NBA. As Jeff Teague said, one and done players bet on themselves to excel in the NBA. Then when it does not work out, they are left with nothing. Even NIL cannot help them as they have to find a job for the rest of their lives.
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Joseph Varghese
(2518 Articles Published)