“Klay Thompson and Andre Igoudala announce they’re taking part of their NBA paychecks in Bitcoin”: The Warriors duo now join long list of athletes in major sports who are taking their salaries in cryptocurrency

Akash Murty | 11/01/2022
"Klay Thompson and Andre Igoudala announce they’re taking part of their NBA paychecks in Bitcoin": The Warriors duo now join long list of athletes in major sports who are taking their salaries in cryptocurrency

Add Klay Thompson and Andre Igoudala to the list of athletes that are accepting part of their salaries in cryptocurrencies.

Cryptos and sports are going synonyms these days. From investments in NFTs to taking part of their salaries in Bitcoins, athletes as a community are giving tough competition to businessmen in owning cryptocurrencies.

Last year, there were headlines about wires of crypto exchange Crypto.com (CRO) buying Super Bowl LVI airtime. The move was strategic, as Crypto.com looks to become a top 20 consumer brand within 5-years. Its latest move followed numerous other sports-linked strategic sponsorships.

After buying the naming rights to multiple sports facilities all over the globe, one of the most famous basketball arenas situated in LA became the Crypto.com arena. Famously known as Staples Center, the Lakers‘ facility was recently renamed, with over $700 million paid for naming rights.

Also read: “With Klay Thompson back, it feels like Chase Center is finally finished with construction!”: Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob talks about the star’s highly anticipated return, and plans for the future

Around the same time in late December, Crypto.com had also announced a sponsorship deal with U.S. female soccer team Angel City F.C. With the tremendous growth in the virtual currency, even NBA players feel obliged to get on the ship that looks like it would sail long and far.

Klay Thompson and Andre Igoudala are taking their paychecks in Bitcoin.

Last year, there were reports on top NFL players taking Bitcoin as a part of their salary or for endorsement payouts. Big names include Tom Brady. The 7-time Super Bowl winner and wife Gisele Bundchen are no strangers to cryptos. They took a stake in crypto exchange FTX.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Mark Cuban are some of the bigger names in the NBA that are in the crypto space openly. Now Curry’s teammates become first but surely not the last NBA players to take their salaries in the form of BTC.

Also read: “With Klay Thompson back, it feels like Chase Center is finally finished with construction!”: Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob talks about the star’s highly anticipated return, and plans for the future

The list of high-profile people taking Bitcoin as salary is growing without a cap, exceeding the boundaries of the profession. Last week, there were headlines that New York City Mayor Eric Adams will take his first 3 paychecks in Bitcoin (BTC). Also, among the list of politicians is Miami City Major Suarez and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

This seems just a start for the times to come, as crypto takes over. It, being more of a people-regulated currency than that of real money, makes it much more lucrative.

 

 

Post Edited By: Joe Viju
Andre Igoudala Crypto Currency Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

Don’t miss these