Comparing Victor Wembanyama and Michael Jordan’s Rookie Contracts

The San Antonio Spurs recently secured their number 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama with a four-year contract. The overall deal, worth more than $55 million, will lead to an annual base salary of $12 million. The annual salary will continue to increase till the final year, bringing in an average annual salary of $13.7 million.

The deal will provide unprecedented money for the 19-year-old, who has been playing in the French League since 2019. However, it was 39 years before Wembanyama’s draft, back in 1984, when the legendary Michael Jordan made history with a $6.3 million, seven-year deal.

According to Roland Lazenby’s Michael Jordan: The Life, MJ’s rookie deal was the third-biggest contract in NBA history at the time. Only Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson had bigger contracts.

Jordan’s contract was also the most lucrative deal ever offered to a rookie guard. While Wembanyama is undoubtedly going to earn big money, his contract pales in comparison when it comes to historical importance of the two deals.

Jordan’s contract was a result of his appearance at the 1984 Summer Olympics. His stock rose by such a margin that the Bulls were forced to offer a big contract in September of 1984.

Chicago undoubtedly got one of the biggest steals in draft history, bagging MJ at #3. In the same year, Hakeem Olajuwon was picked first overall by the Houston Rockets, who offered him the biggest ever contract for a rookie.

However, Olajuwon was expected to be a generational talent and his huge stature somewhat guaranteed success in the NBA. The same was true for Ralph Sampson as well.

However, MJ’s deal was a gamble compared to the first two contracts, at least based on the prevalent perspective at the time. MJ’s biographer Lazenby writes,

“Two weeks later, on September 12, 1984, the Bulls announced Jordan’s signing to a seven-year, $6 million deal, the third highest in league history, behind those given to Houston big men Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. It was by far the greatest deal ever offered a guard.”

Of course, the $6 million deal pales in comparison to the lucrative contracts he subsequently signed. But the fact that the Bulls were prepared to offer a guard so much money shows just how good Jordan was at that age.

Victor Wembanyama’s contract might seem exponentially bigger than Jordan. But we also have to take into account how the NBA and the US economy has grown over the years. Moreover, Wemby has already been confirmed as the next big thing in the NBA.

However, with the NBA growing rapidly, the league will soon see rookie contracts surpassing that of Wembanyama.