Steve Francis Net Worth

What Is Steve Francis' Net Worth?

Steve Francis is an American retired professional basketball player who has a net worth of $30 million.

Steve Francis is best known for his explosive years with the Houston Rockets, where he became one of the NBA's most exciting guards of the early 2000s. Nicknamed "Stevie Franchise," Francis combined power, speed, ball-handling, leaping ability, and fearless drives to the basket in a way that made him a nightly highlight. He was selected with the #2 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, shared Rookie of the Year honors with Elton Brand, made three straight All-Star teams, and helped bridge the Rockets from the Hakeem Olajuwon era into the Yao Ming era. Francis later played for the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks, but injuries and declining athleticism shortened what once looked like a possible Hall of Fame trajectory. He finished his NBA career with 10,446 points, 3,473 assists, and more than $103 million in salary.

Early Life

Steven D'Shawn Francis was born on February 21, 1977, in Takoma Park, Maryland. He grew up in difficult circumstances. His father spent years in federal prison, and his mother died of cancer in 1995. Francis later described living in an apartment with 18 people and relying on food stamps as a youth.

Francis did not follow a clean, traditional basketball path. He attended several high schools, played very little organized high school basketball, dropped out, and later earned his GED. His talent eventually gave him a second chance. He played at San Jacinto College in Texas, then Allegany College of Maryland, becoming one of the top junior college players in the country.

University of Maryland

Francis transferred to the University of Maryland for the 1998-99 season and immediately became one of the most exciting players in college basketball. Playing for coach Gary Williams, he averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.

Maryland went 28-6 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Francis was named First-Team All-ACC, ACC All-Tournament First Team, and a consensus Second-Team All-American. He was also a finalist for major national player of the year awards. After just one season in College Park, he entered the NBA Draft.

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NBA Career

The Vancouver Grizzlies selected Francis with the second overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Francis made it clear that he did not want to play in Vancouver, citing distance from home and other concerns. The situation became controversial, and before his rookie season he was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three-team, 11-player deal.

In Houston, Francis quickly justified the hype. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds as a rookie and shared the 1999-00 Rookie of the Year award with Elton Brand. He also finished second in the Slam Dunk Contest, a reminder that he was not a typical point guard. At 6-foot-3, he attacked the rim like a much bigger player.

Francis became the face of the Rockets after the Hakeem Olajuwon era. Alongside Cuttino Mobley, he formed one of the league's most dynamic young backcourts. His best years came from 2001 to 2004, when he made three straight All-Star teams. During that stretch, Francis averaged around 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game, rare production for a guard in that era.

In 2002, Houston drafted Yao Ming with the #1 overall pick. Francis initially drew attention for comments suggesting uncertainty about Yao, but the two later developed a close relationship. Yao has spoken warmly about Francis welcoming him to the Rockets and helping him adjust to the NBA.

Francis led Houston back to the playoffs in 2004, but the team lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers. That offseason, the Rockets made a blockbuster trade, sending Francis, Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines.

Francis had a strong first season in Orlando, averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 5.8 rebounds in 2004-05. His time with the Magic deteriorated the following year, and in February 2006 he was traded to the New York Knicks for Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway. Knee issues and declining explosiveness limited him in New York, and he never regained his Houston form.

He was later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, bought out, and returned briefly to the Rockets in 2007. Injuries limited him to only 10 games in his second Houston stint. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008 and waived before appearing in a game. Francis later had a brief stint with the Beijing Ducks in China before retiring.

Contracts, Salaries & Career Earnings

Over the course of his NBA career, Steve Francis earned $103.5 million in salary. His first NBA contract was a four-year rookie-scale deal worth roughly $14.1 million with the Rockets. In August 2002, after establishing himself as a franchise player, he signed a six-year maximum extension worth about $86.3 million.

That extension shaped the rest of his career. Francis was still earning from it as he moved from Houston to Orlando, New York, Portland, and back to Houston. His highest-paid season was 2008-09, when he earned $17.2 million from the Portland Trail Blazers, despite never playing a game for the team after being bought out. He also earned $15.1 million in 2006-07 with the Knicks and $15.1 million in 2007-08 tied to Portland.

His year-by-year NBA salary earnings were approximately:

• 1999-00 Rockets: $3.0 million
• 2000-01 Rockets: $3.2 million
• 2001-02 Rockets: $3.5 million
• 2002-03 Rockets: $4.4 million
• 2003-04 Rockets: $11.0 million
• 2004-05 Magic: $12.3 million
• 2005-06 Magic: $13.7 million
• 2006-07 Knicks: $15.1 million
• 2007-08 Trail Blazers/Rockets: $17.5 million combined
• 2008-09 Trail Blazers/Grizzlies: $19.8 million combined

Francis also earned money from endorsements, appearances, business ventures, and a short China contract, though his NBA salary was by far the foundation of his career earnings.

Personal Life

After basketball, Francis pursued several business ventures, including a construction company, boxing promotion, a barbershop, the clothing line We R One, and the record label Mazerati Music. He has also spoken about suffering from Ménière's disease, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing issues.

Francis has dealt with difficult personal periods since leaving the NBA, including legal problems and public concern over his health and appearance. He later spoke openly in The Players' Tribune about grief, depression, drinking, family trauma, and the emotional cost of losing basketball as the center of his life.

Real Estate

Francis owned a large Houston home for nearly two decades. In 2019, he listed the approximately 11,000-square-foot property for $5.6 million. After several price cuts, the home eventually sold in 2024 for somewhere between $3.3 million and $3.8 million.

In January 2020, Steve paid a little under $5 million for a new mansion in Houston. Here is a video tour of his former masnsion:

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