Vin Baker Net Worth

What is Vin Baker's net worth and salary?

Vin Baker is an American former professional basketball player and NBA coach who has a net worth of $500 thousand. Vin Baker earned approximately $97 million in NBA salary and more than $100 million when endorsements are included, but alcoholism, poor investments, failed businesses and alleged financial mismanagement consumed nearly his entire fortune.

At his peak, Baker was one of the NBA's best power forwards. He made four consecutive All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA selections and won a gold medal with the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.

Baker's addiction eventually derailed his career and contributed to the loss of his homes and savings. After reaching sobriety, he famously took a job behind the counter at Starbucks and trained to manage a store. He later rebuilt his relationship with basketball, became an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks and was part of the organization when it won the 2021 NBA championship.

Early Life

Vinny Lamont Baker was born on November 23, 1971, in Lake Wales, Florida. He grew up in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, where his father, James, worked as an auto mechanic and Baptist minister.

Baker did not become a varsity starter at Old Saybrook High School until his junior year. Major college programs largely overlooked him, and he accepted a scholarship from the University of Hartford.

University of Hartford

Baker developed from a lightly recruited prospect into one of the nation's most productive college players. After averaging fewer than five points per game as a freshman, he became a dominant scorer and rebounder during his final three seasons.

As a senior, Baker averaged more than 28 points per game and was named the America East Player of the Year. He completed his college career with 2,238 points, setting a University of Hartford record. The school later retired his No. 42 jersey, making it the first Hartford men's basketball number to receive that honor.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Baker with the eighth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. He earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors after averaging 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds during his first season.

Baker developed into an All-Star during his second year and continued improving alongside Glenn Robinson. In the 1996-97 season, he averaged approximately 21 points and 10 rebounds per game and earned All-NBA Third Team honors.

After four seasons in Milwaukee, Baker was sent to the Seattle SuperSonics in a three-team trade that moved Shawn Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Baker left the Bucks as a three-time All-Star and one of the franchise's leading young players.

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Seattle SuperSonics

Baker immediately produced another All-Star season in Seattle. During the 1997-98 campaign, he averaged 19.2 points and eight rebounds per game, helped the SuperSonics win 61 regular-season games and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team.

In 1999, Seattle signed Baker to a seven-year contract worth approximately $86.6 million. The agreement was one of the largest contracts in basketball at the time. Baker also earned endorsement income, including a relationship with Michael Jordan's Jordan Brand.

Baker's performance began declining as his alcohol use intensified. He gained weight, struggled with his conditioning and found it increasingly difficult to maintain the form that had made him an All-Star. Despite those problems, he represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and returned home with a gold medal.

Boston Celtics and Later Career

The SuperSonics traded Baker to the Boston Celtics in 2002. His drinking problems soon became impossible to conceal. The Celtics suspended him in 2003 so he could seek treatment for alcoholism, and the team ultimately terminated his contract after he failed to comply with the conditions of his recovery program.

Baker continued his career with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. He later signed a nonguaranteed contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves but did not make the regular-season roster.

He finished his NBA career with 11,839 points, 5,867 rebounds and 1,509 assists in 791 regular-season games. His career averages were 15 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Career Earnings and Financial Collapse

Baker earned approximately $97 million in NBA salary. Including endorsements, he has estimated that more than $100 million passed through his hands during his playing career.

The money disappeared through a combination of addiction, uncontrolled spending, failed investments, unsuccessful businesses and financial decisions made by people he trusted. Baker opened a Connecticut seafood restaurant called Vinnie's Saybrook Fish House, but the venture failed. His large home in Durham, Connecticut, was also lost to foreclosure in 2008.

In 2012, Baker sued his former financial adviser and accounting firm, alleging that negligent investments and improper management had destroyed nearly all of an $86 million nest egg. The allegations added another layer to a collapse Baker has also attributed to his alcoholism and his own lack of involvement in his finances.

By 2011, Baker was broke, living with his parents and drinking heavily. He had entered rehabilitation several times before finally establishing lasting sobriety. He also returned to his Christian faith and spent several years working as a youth minister at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

Starbucks and Recovery

Baker eventually contacted Howard Schultz, who had owned the SuperSonics during part of Baker's time in Seattle and was the longtime leader of Starbucks.

Schultz helped Baker secure an opportunity with the company. Baker began working behind the counter at a Starbucks in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, while training for a management position. The sight of a former NBA All-Star serving coffee attracted national attention, but Baker embraced the work rather than treating it as an embarrassment.

He later described Starbucks as one of the most important experiences of his recovery. The daily routine, accountability and opportunity to serve customers helped him rebuild his confidence and learn how to live without the status and privileges of professional basketball.

In 2017, Baker published the memoir "God and Starbucks: An NBA Superstar's Journey Through Addiction and Recovery," written with Joe Layden. The book examined his rise in basketball, alcoholism, financial collapse, faith and path to sobriety.

Coaching Career

Baker gradually returned to professional basketball through broadcasting and coaching. He worked as an analyst for Milwaukee Bucks television broadcasts and served as an assistant with the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League.

In 2018, Baker joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. He has worked closely with the team's players, particularly its frontcourt, and remained on the staff through multiple coaching changes.

Baker was part of the Bucks organization when the team defeated the Phoenix Suns to win the 2021 NBA championship. The achievement completed an extraordinary professional comeback: the former All-Star who had lost his career and fortune returned to the franchise that drafted him and earned a championship ring as a coach.

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