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10 Of The Highest-Paid African Basketball Players

10 Of The Highest-Paid African Basketball Players

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African interest in basketball is growing and several African countries are starting their own basketball teams. These 10 African NBA players and their generous salaries must make for incredible motivation for those budding teams.

Source: TheRichest.com.

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dailymail.co.uk

Mamadou N’Diaye (Senegal)

N’Diaye’s NBA career lasted from 2000 to 2005, before he moved on to play for the Toronto Raptors. However, his stats from the NBA probably helped him negotiate that $737,000 salary he got in just his first year with Toronto, which was later bumped to $3.2 million.

fatherrays.blogspot.com
fatherrays.blogspot.com

Manute Bol (Sudan)

At seven feet and seven inches, Bol is one of the tallest players in NBA history. That has helped make him one of the best blockers and most beloved players of Washington Bullets and Golden State Warrior fans. His earnings were low compared to other players at just $1 million in three seasons with the NBA, but he played for 10 years, which is how he made this list.

blogs.thescore.com
blogs.thescore.com

Bismack Biyombo (Democratic Republic of Congo)

The Sacramento Kings picked up Biyombo in 2011 when they drafted him during the first-round picks. Later, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats where he went on to make $8.7 million. Experts predict Biyombo will soon be earning around $4 million a year.

cowbellkingdom.com
cowbellkingdom.com

Luc Mbah a Moute (Cameroon)

The Prince of the village of Bia Messe, Moute was already famous in his country before moving to the U.S. The Sacramento Kings plucked Moute from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013 and since then he has earned $16.7 million in his basketball career. He was, however, already earning $757,000 in his rookie year.

nba.com
nba.com

Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania)

Thabeet has jumped around between four teams since 2009, during which time he has earned $16.8 million. Today he is with the Oklahoma City Thunder and is expected to earn $1.25 million in 2014.

complex.com
complex.com

Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria)

Olowokandi’s first move out of Africa was to England, where he attended Brunel University. After that he attended the University of the Pacific and was eventually the top pick of the 1998 draft for the Los Angeles Clippers. Olowokandi earned $37.9 million during his nine-year stint in the NBA.

mycontinent.co
mycontinent.co

DeSagana Diop (Senegal)

Diop attended the Oak Hill Academy of Virginia before being named a McDonald’s All-American in 2001. He played 12 seasons in the NBA before injuries and some shortcomings got him benched during his last years. Still, he managed to rake up $47 million during his career.

basketballwallpapers.tk
basketballwallpapers.tk

Luol Deng (South Sudan)

Deng’s family moved him to England when they were granted public asylum, but Deng ended up at Duke University in the U.S. and was shortly after drafted by the Chicago Bulls. Deng has been earning at least $10 million per season in his career so far, and is expected to earn $14.3 million in 2013-2014.

nbaat90s.wordpress.com
nbaat90s.wordpress.com

Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria)

Olajuwon moved to the U.S. in the 1980s to play college ball for Houston and went on to play 17 seasons with the Houston Rockets. Olajuwon won two NBA titles and achieved 3,830 blocks during his career. He has nearly 27,000 points to date, and has earned around $110 million.

sports.espn.go.com
sports.espn.go.com

Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Mutombo spoke no English when he arrived in the U.S. in 1988 to attend Georgetown University on a USAID scholarship. Nonetheless, Hoyas coach John Thompson reached out to Mutombo and helped him land a career that’s earned him $143.6 million. He played the majority of his years with Atlanta, Denver and Houston. Outside basketball, he has become known for his humanitarian work.