Sebastian Telfair Says Making $1 Million a Year 'Ain't No Money'

"For a generation of New York hoop fans, Sebastian Telfair was supposed to be next. The Coney Island point guard graced the cover of SLAM as a teenager, shared space with LeBron James in the "future of the league" conversation, and skipped college straight into the NBA with lottery-pick expectations attached to his name. The money, the fame, the sneaker deals-it all came fast. But on a recent appearance on , Telfair peeled back the curtain on what that life actually looked like."

""You said I made 20," he said, referencing roughly $20 million across a decade in the league. "We all know about Uncle Sam, right? So what's that? Ten, ten, right? So that's about a million a year...That ain't no money!" "The real truth is I ain't really make no money," Telfair continued, explaining that once taxes, travel, and family responsibilities kicked in, that headline number shrank fast. "You got to be a real strategic dude making a million dollars a year and thinking you going to end up with everything on earth.""

""I got 14 brothers and sisters...I got a mother and a father," he said. "So it was a lot on us." Despite the seemingly incredulous claim, Telfair admitted that early fame warped his view of money and success. As a kid, sneakers and magazine covers felt like validation. As an adult, real life came with bills, contracts, and hard lessons. "Money and fame can be loud," he said. " Jail was quiet. " After serving time and returning home, he says the focus is different now. "Stop making excuses. I made way too many excuses," he said plainly. "I don't want to be on the show right now telling y'all, as a grown ass man, I made excuses that basically led me into jail."

Sebastian Telfair entered the NBA directly from high school as a highly touted lottery prospect and gained national recognition and endorsement deals. Career earnings are estimated at about $20 million over a decade, but taxes, travel, large family responsibilities, and spending sharply reduced net savings. Early fame created distorted expectations about money and success, with material validation like sneakers and magazine covers. Legal trouble and a subsequent jail term prompted reflection and a change in priorities. The current focus centers on accountability, avoiding excuses, and rebuilding a more sustainable life after incarceration.

Read at Complex