John Havlicek NBA Pension

The National Basketball Association is one of the most profitable sports leagues in the world, and they have a strong reputation for “doing things the right way.”  

To Adam Silver and the rest of the Association’s executives, “the right way” includes diversity and inclusion initiatives, global youth basketball promotions, and top-tier retirement benefits. Current NBA players have an excellent pension plan and are vested into it after three seasons in the league. The NBA matches the 401(k) contributions of players up to 140%. Retired players can receive anywhere from $56,998 per year to $195,000 per year depending on their years of service, according to SportsCasting. 

Before the NBA was a global phenomenon, however, players were not quite as well taken care of. Per a find in the Mark H. McCormack Archives, Hall of Famer John Havlicek received just $2,000 per year in his pension. 

Havlicek, a 13-time All-Star and 8-time NBA champion whose number 17 jersey hangs in the rafters of Boston’s TD Garden, helped the Celtics dominate the league in the 1960s and 1970s. Havlicek’s place in NBA history is well-established, yet his $2,000, 30-year single premium endowment policy is dwarfed by any current, qualifying NBA player.  

While $2,000 in 1964 roughly equates to about $17,000 in 2021 dollars, this is still about 30 percent of what the lowest qualifying NBA player receives. 

The 1970 NBA Players’ Pension Plan, shown in

This pension plan certainly would not have solely covered Havlicek’s living expenses after retirement. Fortunately for the NBA Hall of Famer, he made a series of shrewd business investments early in his career, including jumping in early on three Wendy’s fast-food restaurant franchises.