NBA

Steve Nash Made so Much Money in the NBA He Bought 2 Pro Soccer Teams

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Steve Nash earned over $140 million in the NBA, and he used his massive net worth to buy his own soccer team in his home country of Canada.

Steve Nash has always loved soccer just as much as basketball. When he made close to $150 million in his NBA career, Nash decided to get involved in professional soccer. Not as a player, however, but as an owner. Nash is actually a part-owner of not one, but two professional soccer clubs today. He sure is staying busy in retirement.

Steve Nash made close to $150 million in the NBA

Steve Nash was arguably the best point guard in the NBA throughout the 2000s, and he sure was paid like it. Nash made a whopping $144.7 million in his 18-year career.

Most of Nash’s massive career earnings came from his time with the Phoenix Suns. He played 10 seasons in Phoenix and made over $87 million with the team. The most Nash made in one season was $13.1 million in 2009-10. It was a hefty number at the time, but the top players today make over $30 million per year.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Nash’s current net worth sits at a cool $95 million. With a little extra cash to spend in retirement, Nash decided to dive back into his favorite childhood sport — soccer.

Nash bought the Vancouver Whitecaps before leaving the NBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BVLH58v1uI

Nash couldn’t even wait for retirement before jumping into professional soccer. He knew while he was still playing basketball what he wanted to do in his second life.

In 2011, Nash joined an ownership group to bring the 17th team to Major League Soccer — the Vancouver Whitecaps. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Whitecaps were the perfect fit for Nash. Nash grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, so buying an ownership stake in the Whitecaps was like buying his hometown soccer team.

Vancouver went 6-18-10 in its inaugural season, but it steadily improved over the next few seasons. The Whitecaps had three winning seasons in a row from 2013-15. They went 16-13-5 in 2015, which still stands as the team’s best season in the MLS.

Vancouver finished the 2015 regular season in third place in the entire league, but the team went on to lose in the conference semifinals. The Whitecaps haven’t made it to a conference championship in their nine seasons in the MLS. They did, however, win the Canadian Championship after the 2015 season.

Last season, Vancouver went 8-16-10 and came in 23rd place in the MLS. The Whitecaps have missed the playoffs two seasons in a row.

Nash also bought a stake in Spanish club RCD Mallorca in 2016

Nash evidently wasn’t satisfied with owning just one soccer club, so he added another to his portfolio a few years later. In 2016, Nash joined an ownership group and purchased the Spanish club, RCD Mallorca.

RCD Mallorca was a prominent force in La Liga throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the club recently fell apart and declared bankruptcy in 2010. They were relegated to Spain’s second division a few years later.

With Nash in charge, RCD Mallorca has risen back to La Liga. The team will compete with the best Spain has to offer once La Liga returns in 2020, and Nash will be heavily involved.

Nash will be busy with his two soccer clubs for years to come, but don’t be surprised if he makes a move for one more in the future. Nash is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fan, so if the opportunity to jump in as an owner arises, he would surely take it.