Which NBA and NFL stars are investing in cryptocurrency?
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Which NBA and NFL stars are investing in cryptocurrency?
This article reviews well-known players from the two major professional sports leagues, the NBA and NFL, who are actively investing in the cryptocurrency market.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsWritten by: Zen, PANews
Recently, retired NFL player Russell Okung shared an old post on X about Bleacher Report covering his decision to receive part of his salary in Bitcoin, captioning it: "Society wants to tame you, make you predictable. But greatness requires wildness."
The tweet quickly garnered millions of views. As Bitcoin surged past the $90,000 mark, many began to realize just how right Okung had been with his once-controversial choice.
In North American sports, there are numerous celebrities and athletes like Okung who are passionate about Bitcoin. For example, a 2019 Bleacher Report article noted that NFL quarterback Matt Barkley requested both the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals to pay his contract in Bitcoin—requests that were both denied. Notably, Barkley played for these teams between 2017 and 2018, when Bitcoin was still far from mainstream acceptance. Today, investing in Bitcoin has become commonplace, and converting salaries directly into Bitcoin is already a precedent in top-tier leagues such as the NFL and NBA.
This article by PANews compiles well-known NFL and NBA players actively involved in the crypto market, based on their public statements or overseas media reports. These athletes have not only gained substantial returns from the crypto industry but also promoted broader adoption of cryptocurrencies through their actions and words.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Despite moving across multiple teams this year and seeing a decline in on-court performance, Spencer Dinwiddie, the Dallas Mavericks guard, likely reaped significant rewards from his off-court cryptocurrency investments. Known as a "crypto pioneer" among NBA players, Dinwiddie was first introduced to Bitcoin in 2014 by a friend working in finance. However, due to the abundance of investment horror stories in the NBA, the then-21-year-old rookie, earning just $1 million annually, hesitated to dive in and instead opted for more traditional and stable real estate investments.
In December 2016, Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $2.9 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets. At the time, one Bitcoin was priced around $775, and by the end of that season, its value had already doubled. That season, Dinwiddie established himself as a key player for the Nets and resolved not to miss out on future Bitcoin price surges. In the fall of 2017, at the start of the new NBA season, Dinwiddie began closely monitoring his investments. While most players focused on getting into game shape in the locker room before matches, he would open Coinbase, a cryptocurrency trading app, to track market trends. As he started delivering the best performances of his career, Bitcoin’s price skyrocketed—tripling by year-end to reach $15,000. He also began researching lesser-known tokens at the time, including Tron, from which he later exited with a fivefold return.
By December 2018, after nearly making the All-Star team, Dinwiddie secured a three-year, $34.36 million extension from the Nets. The following year, overcoming resistance from the NBA, he converted his contract into an investment vehicle called Dream Fan Shares, selling 90 SD8 tokens—also known as Professional Athlete Investment Tokens (PAInT). Ultimately, only 10% were sold, falling far short of the targeted $13.5 million. Additionally, Dinwiddie co-founded Calaxy, a creator social marketplace, which has raised at least $33.5 million in funding.
Last October, in an interview with prominent sports journalist Michael Scotto, Dinwiddie discussed his post-retirement plans, stating Calaxy is currently valued in the nine-figure range and reaching ten figures in the next cycle would allow him to “fully enjoy retirement.” (Some Chinese sports media mistakenly reported this as disclosure of personal crypto assets exceeding $100 million.) Even though Dinwiddie never received his salary in Bitcoin nor publicly disclosed nine-figure crypto holdings, as an early investor in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, his cumulative gains over the years are undoubtedly substantial.
Klay Thompson & Andre Iguodala
Left: Andre Iguodala; Right: Klay Thompson
Dinwiddie's current teammate, Klay Thompson—who recently joined the Dallas Mavericks—is the highest-profile NBA player to publicly support receiving part of his salary in Bitcoin. The former All-Star shooting guard, once dubbed "Splash Brother" alongside Stephen Curry, tweeted: "I invest in Bitcoin because I believe it’s the future of money."
In January 2022, after two-and-a-half years sidelined by ACL and Achilles injuries, Klay made his long-awaited return. Perhaps during rehabilitation, he was influenced by teammate Andre Iguodala, as both immediately announced partnerships with Cash App upon his comeback, converting part of their salaries into Bitcoin and donating BTC worth $1 million each to fans. Iguodala wrote on X: "I used Cash App to convert part of my paycheck into Bitcoin! Bitcoin is the future, and Klay Thompson and I are believers."
That season, Klay earned approximately $40 million under his contract, while Iguodala’s veteran minimum deal remained undisclosed, estimated at around $3 million. However, Iguodala, a well-known tech investor in the NBA, had already amassed significant wealth through venture capital, giving him the confidence to convert his entire season’s earnings into Bitcoin. According to Buy Bitcoin Worldwide, Iguodala received $2.647 million in Bitcoin. Klay, guided by Iguodala, likely holds a comparable amount of Bitcoin assets.
Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham, the franchise star of the Detroit Pistons, entered the NBA in 2021 as the No. 1 overall pick. This mature, high-IQ rookie appears equally savvy in financial investments. Before the season began, he announced an exclusive multi-year partnership with BlockFi. As part of the deal, BlockFi provided a signing bonus paid directly in Bitcoin to his BlockFi account. "What interests me about cryptocurrencies is their usability, democratic and consensus-based foundation, and their ability to evolve over time to meet the changing needs of financial consumers—including myself," Cunningham said in a statement.
After FTX collapsed and led to BlockFi’s bankruptcy, many recalled Cunningham’s business ties with the firm. According to Crain's Detroit Business, a source familiar with the deal revealed the Bitcoin bonus was minimal compared to the cash payments he received for endorsements from BlockFi. Since then, there has been no further news regarding Cunningham’s crypto investments. Indeed, given his subsequent five-year, $224 million maximum contract with the Pistons, even a 2–3x return on Bitcoin would be negligible in comparison.
Tyrese Haliburton
Earlier this year, during the annual NBA All-Star Weekend, Coinbase hosted an event called "moonshot." Tyrese Haliburton, starting point guard for the Indiana Pacers, attended and sat down with CoinDesk for an interview. He revealed he first heard of Bitcoin years ago during college, noting Dinwiddie was the first NBA player to speak about it. "The first cryptocurrency I engaged with was Ethereum, since that’s the blockchain I used for NFTs, so I’ve invested heavily in Ethereum. I want exposure to Bitcoin too—it’s the blue-chip asset of crypto."
Haliburton said his busy schedule prevents him from day-trading, though his younger brother does. "So I can imagine taking a big chunk of my contract, handing it to my brother to day-trade and watch for market dips. That’s absolutely a possibility for me." Haliburton may indeed do so—he signed a five-year, up-to-$260 million extension with the Pacers last July.
Scottie Pippen
In July this year, Scottie Pippen entered the cryptocurrency space. The NBA legend, who helped Michael Jordan build the Bulls dynasty, teased the move on social media before launching a fan token called Game 5 Ball ($BALL) on the Ethereum blockchain in August—tied to the ball used in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals. Shortly after the token’s launch, on-chain investigator ZachXBT discovered the developer wallet behind the contract dumped nearly $330,000 worth of tokens immediately, sparking strong backlash from the community. As of November 19, $BALL’s circulating market cap stood at approximately $5.6 million.
Related reading: “Ethereum or Solana?” Former NFT-launching NBA star Scottie Pippen returns to stir things up in crypto.
Notably, although Pippen faced criticism and mockery over his $BALL-related actions, he “accidentally” almost predicted Bitcoin’s surge. In September, Pippen tweeted that Satoshi Nakamoto told him in a dream that Bitcoin’s price would hit $84,650 on November 5. On that date, Bitcoin neared $70,000—and within a week, it reached around $85,000.
Russell Okung
At the end of 2020, after joining the Carolina Panthers, Russell Okung announced he would receive half of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin. However, according to tech media The Verge, the Panthers confirmed all team payments are made in U.S. dollars. The article suggested Okung’s move might have been intended to promote Zap, a Bitcoin Lightning Network payment company, enabling anyone to technically receive wages “in Bitcoin” via such platforms.
Ultimately, Okung partnered with Strike, a service under Zap, to facilitate partial Bitcoin salary payments. Six months later, as Bitcoin climbed above $60,000 and then sharply declined, Okung stated he wouldn’t sell despite market downturns. He has not publicly discussed his investment strategy since. Analysts speculate that if Okung still holds the 240 Bitcoins purchased with half his 2020 salary, they would now be worth over $20.9 million.
Trevor Lawrence
In April 2021, shortly after being selected as the NFL draft’s No. 1 pick, Trevor Lawrence signed a deal with FTX to promote its investment app, Blockfolio. FTX claimed this was the first transaction where a "signing bonus was fully paid in cryptocurrency." According to USA TODAY, Lawrence’s portfolio included major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and he also invested in the Solana blockchain.
In June 2022, amid a crypto bear market, rumors spread online claiming Lawrence had converted his entire $24 million signing bonus into crypto and lost $15 million. Lawrence later debunked this on Twitter, clarifying people confused the $24 million NFL draft signing bonus with the separate FTX endorsement fee. Bloomberg reported that FTX-affiliated companies’ bankruptcy filings showed Lawrence received a $500,000 payment in September 2022. Other athletes sued for endorsing FTX include Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Shaquille O'Neal, Naomi Osaka, and Shohei Ohtani—though these wealthy stars appear uninvolved in active crypto investing, with no disclosures of personal holdings.
Saquon Barkley
"We see inflation, and we recognize wealth preservation is difficult. That’s why I’m using Bitcoin for my marketing funds," said Saquon Barkley, star running back for the New York Giants, during an episode of Anthony Pompliano’s YouTube show *The Best Business Show* in July 2021. He announced a partnership with Strike to receive 100% of his future endorsement deals in Bitcoin. Barkley has endorsement contracts with major brands like Nike, Toyota, and PepsiCo. Pompliano estimated Barkley’s endorsement income exceeds $10 million annually.
Aaron Rodgers
On November 21, 2021, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tweeted that he had partnered with Square’s Cash App to convert an undisclosed portion of his 2021 salary into Bitcoin. Like Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, Rodgers also pledged to donate Bitcoin worth $1 million. At the time, the 37-year-old was under a four-year, $134 million contract with the Green Bay Packers, averaging $33.5 million per season.
Odell Beckham Jr.
"Who’s still saying it was stupid for me to take my Rams salary in Bitcoin?" On November 14, following Russell Okung’s celebration of Bitcoin’s surge, Odell Beckham Jr. responded publicly on X to past critics.
On November 22, 2021, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., then playing for the Los Angeles Rams, tweeted that he would partner with Cash App to receive his full salary in Bitcoin. His contract with the Rams included a $750,000 base salary, $500,000 signing bonus, and $3 million in incentives. After winning his first Super Bowl with the team, Beckham earned the full incentive payout.
Sean Culkin
Sean Culkin, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, was the first NFL player to announce he would convert his entire salary into Bitcoin. In April 2021, ESPN reported that Culkin, signed to a reserve/future contract in February, planned to convert his entire $920,000 salary into Bitcoin. "I want to do this because I believe Bitcoin will continue rising long-term," he said. "Long-term, it’s a store of value. Bitcoin’s scarcity makes it hard to control. Historically, it appreciates over time."
However, just one month after announcing this plan, Culkin was released by the Chiefs. Since such contracts are typically non-guaranteed, he likely received little to no remaining salary. He hasn’t played for any team since. Yet, judging by his laser-eyed profile picture and background image featuring a player wearing a jersey that says "bitcoin" on X, Culkin remains one of the few true Bitcoin loyalists among professional athletes.
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