What is Zydrunas Ilgauskas' Net Worth?
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a Lithuanian/American former professional basketball player who has a net worth of $45 million. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, AKA "Big Z," earned his net worth as a center in the National Basketball Association for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. He also played for the Lithuania national team in 1994. In 2012, Ilgauskas joined the Cavaliers' front office as a special advisor to the organization.
Early Life
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was born on June 5, 1975, in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union, where he made his professional debut with local club Atletas in 1993. He scored an average of 20.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game during the 1994-1995 season. This was enough to garner attention from scouts in the NBA.
NBA Career
With the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft, Zydrunas Ilguaskas was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. His early tenure with the Cavs was marred by injuries, and he barely spent time on the court until the 2003 season when the team drafted phenomenon LeBron James. Ilgauskas remained healthy for the next few seasons and earned a contract extension with the team. The 7-foot-3 big was named to the 1997-1998 All-Rookie First Team and became known for his accurate jump shot, rebounding, and adversity to overcome injuries. He was a two-time NBA All-Star (2003, 2005) and is the Cleveland Cavaliers career leader in blocked shots. Big Z played in the 2007 NBA Finals as a member of the Cavs, and his No. 11 jersey is retired by the organization.
In July 2010, Ilguaskas signed with the Miami Heat where he teamed up once again with LeBron James. The Heat made it to the NBA Finals in 2011 but fell short to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. In September 2011, Big Z announced his decision to retire from basketball to spend more time with his family while citing personal physical fatigue and bodily wear-and-tear.
For his career, Ilgauskas scored 10,976 points (13.0 ppg), and recorded 6,191 rebounds (77.3 rpg) and 1,327 blocks (1.6 bpg).
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Contracts & Career Earnings
Ilgauskas signed a six-year, $70.9 million extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1999. In 2005, he inked a five-year, $55 million deal to stay with the team. In 2010, he signed a two-year, $2.75 million contract with the Miami Heat and in 2011 exercised his player option worth $1.4 million.
Over his 15-year NBA career, Zydrunas Ilgauskas earned more than $125.3 million in salary alone.
Personal Life
Zydrunas Ilguaskas married his wife, Jennifer, in the summer of 2004. In 2007, the couple lost twins due to pregnancy complications that caused the infants to be born four months premature. In 2009, they adopted two Lithuanian brothers, ages four and five at the time, from Zydrunas' hometown of Kaunas. Jennifer passed away on September 11, 2022.
Ilgauskas is a big reader and particularly enjoys military history. He often read in the locker room before games throughout his career.
When Ilgauskas became a citizen of the United States in 2013, he lost his Lithuanian citizenship due to a law in Lithuania that limits the possibility of dual citizenship.
