What Is Richard Jefferson's Net Worth?
Richard Jefferson is an American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $40 million. Richard Jefferson played college basketball under legendary coach Lute Olsen at the University of Arizona from 1998 to 2001. Jefferson led the Wildcats to the 2001 NCAA National Championship game during his senior season. He was inducted into the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor in 2012. During his NBA career, Richard earned $116 million in salary alone.
Early Life
Richard Allen Jefferson Jr. was born on June 21, 1980, in Los Angeles, California. He was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Jefferson played high school basketball at Moon Valley High School in Phoenix and was a very important player for the team. Because of him, the team won the 1998 4A Arizona State Championship.
Basketball Career
Jefferson played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 1998 to 2001. His coach was Hall of Fame, Lute Olson. Richard finished his career by advancing all the way to the 2001 national championship game. Unfortunately, the Wildcats lost to Duke in the end. He was inducted into the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor during the 2012 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament.
Jefferson was selected in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick by the Houston Rockets. He played one season, then went to the New Jersey Nets. Richard played seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets. He was a very important part of their team and was the main reason they had back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship teams in 2002 and 2003. He played in the NBA Finals with the Nets in each of his first two seasons. Jefferson was also a member of the USA Men's Olympic basketball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Through the 2005-2006 season, Jefferson proved himself to be one of the NBA's most "versatile players." On January 21, 2007, he underwent ankle surgery, which caused him to miss six weeks of the season. These two months proved his importance on the court, with the Nets losing most games while he was gone. When Richard returned, the team made an immediate comeback and made it to the playoffs.
The 2007–08 season was the best of Jefferson's NBA career. In the first seven games, he averaged 97.1% in free throws and 49.1% in field-goals. On December 4th, he passed Kerry Kittles to become the Nets' second all-time leading scorer.
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From 2008 to 2013, Jefferson bounced around on many teams. In just these five years, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, and Utah Jazz. On July 21, 2014, Jefferson signed with the Dallas Mavericks. He was the last Maverick to wear #24 before it was retired in honor of Kobe Bryant.
On August 5, 2015, Jefferson signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers finished the regular season with a 57–25 record and reached the 2016 NBA Finals with a 12-2 playoff record. Though he wanted to retire, Richard re-signed with the Cavaliers for two more years on July 28, 2016, reportedly on a $5 million contract.
On October 19, 2017, Jefferson signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Denver Nuggets. He announced his retirement from the NBA on October 13, 2018, .
On July 11, 2022, the NBA announced that Jefferson would be a referee for the second quarter of the Knicks-Blazers game at the 2022 NBA Summer League.
Broadcasting Career
On October 16, 2018, Jefferson joined the YES Network as the Nets' game and studio analyst. He has also appeared as a basketball analyst on FS1 and the Pac-12 Network. Richard joined ESPN in 2019 as an NBA analyst.
Personal Life & Real Estate
Jefferson dated dancer and cheerleader Kesha Ni'cole Nichols for five years. Jefferson and Nichols were engaged, but Richard broke off the engagement both times. The second time the couple was engaged, their wedding was scheduled to take place on July 11, 2009, at the Mandarin Oriental. However, Jefferson called off the wedding the night before.
In October 2013, Richard paid $4.3 million for a home in Hermosa Beach, California.
