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Who is Danny Ainge and What is Danny Ainge Net Worth?
Danny Ainge is an American basketball executive and former player have net worth around $18 million. Danny Ainge is currently the CEO of Basketball Operations and Alternate Governor for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. He played as a shooting guard and point guard for 14 seasons in the NBA, mostly for the Boston Celtics, with whom he won two NBA championships in 1984 and 1986. He was an All-Star in 1988 and a three-point shootout champion in 1986. He also played professional baseball for three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays of the MLB.
Early Life and College Basketball Career
Danny Ainge was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1959. He attended North Eugene High School where he played basketball and baseball. As a senior, Ainge was named Oregon’s Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 24.2 points per game.
Ainge attended Brigham Young University from 1977-1981 where he had a standout career. He was a prolific scorer, averaging over 20 points per game in his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Ainge was named the winner of the John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s top college basketball player.
NBA Playing Career and Earnings After a successful college career
Danny Ainge was selected in the 2nd round of the 1981 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He played shooting guard alongside the legendary Larry Bird-Kevin McHale-Robert Parish Celtics team of the 1980s.
In his rookie year, Ainge averaged 10.7 points per game and helped the Celtics win the NBA championship. This would be the first of Ainge’s two titles as a player.
Over his 14 year NBA playing career, Danny Ainge earned nearly $12 million dollars in salary while playing for the Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns. Let’s take a closer look at his earnings year-by-year:
- 1981-1988 (BOS): $3.1 million over 8 seasons
- 1989-1990 (SAC): $1.1 million over 2 seasons
- 1990-1992 (POR): $4.4 million over 3 seasons
- 1992-1995 (PHO): $3.3 million over 4 seasons
Though Ainge was never an NBA All Star, he built a remarkably consistent and durable career as a favorite role player of several franchises. His final NBA stats:
- 1,042 games played
- 11.5 points per game average
- 2 NBA championships
Married/Dating?
Danny Ainge is married to Michelle Ainge, whom he met in college. They have six children together: four sons named Austin, Tanner, Cooper, and Crew, and two daughters named Taylor and Ashley. They also have 17 grandchildren.
Executive Career with the Boston Celtics
After retiring as a player in 1995, Danny Ainge spent several years working as a basketball analyst for TNT and also dabbled in coaching. In 2003, he was hired to be the Executive Director of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics.
Charged with rebuilding the struggling Celtics team, Ainge orchestrated several moves that helped assemble their 2008 championship roster led by newly acquired stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen alongside Paul Pierce. With Ainge at the helm in the front office, the Celtics would reach 3 NBA finals and win 1 title from 2008-2010.
In the salary cap era of the NBA, exact executive salaries are not publicly disclosed. However, as a President and top decision maker it is reasonable to estimate Ainge’s annual salary between $5 million to $10 million. Over the past 20 years serving in Boston’s front office, Ainge has likely earned over $100 million in total compensation.
The success he has orchestrated for the franchise also typically results in substantial bonuses on top of base salary. Factoring in expected bonuses and incentive pay, an estimate of $150 million in career executive earnings is reasonable.
What is Danny Ainge’s Net Worth?
Early Life, 14 Year Playing Career, and 20+ Years as Celtics Executive – Danny Ainge’s basketball resume spans over 40 years contributing to teams as a player and executive. What is the total net worth of Ainge’s basketball endeavors?
- Estimated career earnings:
- NBA player salary: $12 million
- NBA executive salary: $150+ million
- Total estimated career basketball earnings: $165 million+
Accounting for taxes, expenses, and money management, a reasonable estimate of Danny Ainge’s current net worth is likely between $15-$20 million. While he earned far more as an NBA executive than player, sound investing would allow Ainge to continue living comfortably long after his basketball days are over.
With his playing career complete and executive days drawing to an inevitable close, Danny Ainge has cemented one of the most impressive basketball legacies across both on-court and management roles in the sport’s history. Though he never sought fortune or fame, his net worth serves as a representation of a job well done contributing to the teams and games he loves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions people have about Danny Ainge’s career and net worth:
Question: What was Danny Ainge’s biggest contract as an NBA player?
Answer: Ainge’s top single-season NBA salary was $1.1 million with the Sacramento Kings in the 1989-90 season. His career high earnings came from a 5 year, $5.6 million dollar contract also with the Kings spanning 1989-1993.
Question: Did Danny Ainge make more money as a player or executive?
Answer: Far more as an executive. While Ainge made around $12 million dollars in 14 years as a player, he has likely made over $150 million dollars and counting during 20+ years managing the Celtics front office.
Question: What major moves did Danny Ainge engineer as GM of the Celtics?
Answer: Drafting Paul Pierce in 1998, trading for Kevin Garnett in 2007, acquiring Ray Allen in 2007, signing Al Horford in 2016. These core player acquisitions led to Boston’s 2008 championship and additional finals trips.
Question: How much could Danny Ainge earn when he leaves the Celtics?
Answer: When Ainge eventually retires from the Celtics, if he chose to pursue other NBA front office or head coaching positions he would likely command $5 million+ annual salaries to start based on reputation. Broadcasting analyst roles could also pay 7 figures yearly.
Question: What is Danny Ainge’s family life like?
Answer: Danny Ainge met his wife Michelle when they attended high school together in Eugene, Oregon. The long-time couple raised six children (4 boys, 2 girls) and now enjoy the company of grandchildren as well.
