NBA vs. MBA: The Collision of Basketball and Business

Craig HatfieldAs the 2012 NBA Finals are about to bring an end to another NBA season, HowToMBA.com takes a look at the larger picture of business and basketball. The intersection between business and the basketball court is undeniable. While the NBA may not be the most popular major sports league in the country, it is driven by its players more than any other league.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James dominate the court, but how do they compare to business leaders like Phil Knight and Tim Cook? And how do the top two MBA schools in the world pair up versus the top two basketball teams?

This relationship between the hardwood and the boardroom allows for some great comparisons between NBA players and some of the highest earning executives. With NBA players as the highest earning professional athletes, making an average of $5.15 million a season, some of the highest paid CEOs in the world who hold an MBA from the world’s top business schools, take home over $25 million a year.

To take a closer look into this interaction, check out the infographic below to see stats on MBA executives and business schools in comparison to the stars and teams of this year’s Finals.

Via HowToMBA and Earn MBA

Jeff Herbst works in inbound marketing at 2tor, Inc a company that partners with prestigious universities to help deliver their graduate programs online. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys writing about how the sporting and business worlds collide. You can follow with him on Twitter, @jwherbst.

Comments

[Patrick Edmonds]

This is a great graphic and really captures the new age of the sporting industry where the players have become institutions themselves. It's a very interesting comparison of wildly successful people and I wonder about the idea of talent within this comparison. I think people today are much more comfortable with a basketball phenom with only a high school degree or two years of college making a $100 million a year than a person who has a master's from Harvard and started his or her own company being very successful. I think businessmen and women have suffered endured a poor image on account of the 08 crisis, and the ensuing media attack on the 1%, which athletes and other entertainers are often part of, but seem to be exempt from the vitriol. Thanks and Welcome to The Lunch Table!

[Mike Chaconas]

Really nice article. Are you sure the NBA players dont put more then 37.5 hours per week? Travel time, meetings, practice, shootarounds, games, weight room time etc..

[James Dugan]

How many MBAs have torn ACLs? I know at least two.

This is very cool. You won't believe how long I studied the two charts. I would like to see more of a comparison between these groups that most of us would not be able to associate together, and yet the comparison is very close. I would like to see how stress, family size, and parent income plays a role. We will be able to see how success can come in many sizes and arenas.

Thanks for the lunch.