How Much Do NBA Waterboys Make on Average?

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Asking how much do NBA waterboys make on average is somewhat odd, but let’s face it: Not everyone is cut out to be an NBA player. Only 450 out of the 8 billion or so people on the planet are on an NBA roster, so our dreams of making it to the grandest stage are highly improbable.

With that being said, that doesn’t mean you should give up working in the NBA for good. Waterboys, for example, make a decent amount relative to the salary of the average Joe. You also get to work up close and personal with your favorite NBA players and maybe have them sign autographs, shoes, and whatnot every now and then. As a fan of the NBA and basketball, who would not love that? 

What Do NBA Waterboys Do 

What Do NBA Waterboys Do? 

If you have plans of being an NBA waterboy, you need to be able to do what waterboys do best– giving water to dehydrated athletes and holding the towels of these same sweaty dudes. That doesn’t sound too enticing, does it? But then again, like any other job, it requires expertise.

People pursue this kind of career for many reasons, and while the job description is not too glamorous, it does pay well and has unique perks. Who can say he gets to sit on more or less, the same (or even better) seats, as Spike Lee or Jack Nicholson? The answer is not many, and NBA waterboys are among those exclusively authorized to be close to the world’s best athletes.

Despite the not-too-desirable job description, as pointed out earlier, NBA waterboys are a crucial part of the players’ careers even when they are not in a real NBA game. They make sure that players are hydrated during practices. Since waterboys are often part of the training staff of an NBA team, they assist players with training, exercise, injury rehabs, and game preparation. 

How to Become an NBA Waterboy Qualifications

How to Become an NBA Waterboy? Qualifications

The best way on how to become an NBA waterboy is to contact your local team on what their qualifications are. Different organizations do it their own way. Many do it through tryouts and some through raffles, but at any rate, contacting your local team will likely give you the needed information to get the job. It will probably give you more specific details on NBA waterboy qualifications. Many NBA teams are always on the lookout for new recruits, and you may be a perfect fit for one of these ball clubs. 

Aside from directly contacting NBA teams, you can also ask friends, relatives, or acquaintances that have NBA connections and see what information you can get. They don’t have to be coaches or high-ranking officials per se. Someone who works in the office will likely have inside information on how to become an NBA waterboy. 

How to Become an NBA Waterboy Qualifications

Of course, you should do your due diligence in more personal ways than just having the right contacts. Like any other job, you have to have the right attitude. Work on the skills that they are looking for and pay attention to how NBA waterboys do their jobs in real games. Take note of where they sit on their benches, when they approach players, when they leave them alone, and all of that stuff. It wouldn’t hurt having a leg up in the competition by researching beforehand all of these things.

Are there Certain Skills that You Need to Have

Are there Certain Skills that You Need to Have?

Any type of career requires skill and dedication. In the case of NBA waterboys, you still have to be in pretty good physical condition to do the job and have the presence of mind to do what waterboys have to do. After all, nobody on the team should waste their time telling you what you have to do at every turn. 

Having said that, you should come prepared and be on alert for players’ needs from the game preparation, to the opening tip, and up until the last buzzer. And because the NBA is the pinnacle of professional basketball, you may even have to back up your resume with a college diploma.

What's the Average Salary of NBA Waterboys

What’s the Average Salary of NBA Waterboys?

To put things into perspective, you should know that the NBA is a multi-billion dollar business. This means they pay people a lot of money to get various jobs done. Though salaries of NBA employees vary greatly, they still make top dollar than the rest of the population.

For example, coaches and executives are paid a lot. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reportedly makes 11 million a year, and Phil Jackson made $20 million a year when he was the General Manager of the New York Knicks. Pop’s salary is almost three times the median salary of an NBA coach, which stands at about $3.5 million annually. Likewise, Jackson’s annual salary is nearly 20 times more than most general managers who earn at a range of 1-3 million a year.

It’s also quite interesting to know the salaries of NBA mascots. Most of them are paid $29,000 a year but a small percentage of these acrobatic and tireless entertainers are paid six figures on an annual basis. A famous example of a ridiculously high paid NBA mascot is the Denver Nuggets’ Rocky the Mountain Lion, who reportedly makes $625,000 a year, according to a Yahoo Finance report. If you did the math, that’s about $15,000 per game in 42 home games at the Pepsi Center!

Of course, all that is chump change for NBA players, whose annual salary is averaged at around $7.7 million. Among these multi-millionaires, Steph Curry led the group with a 2019-2020 salary of $40 million, with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook both right behind at over $38 million.

What's the Average Salary of NBA Waterboys

Speaking of chump change, waterboys obviously make a lot less money than NBA players, but $53,000 to $58,000 a year is not bad at all! Some waterboys who have been on a team for a long time receive promotions and perks, so once it’s all said and one, NBA waterboys still make a lot more than an average American. Even waterboys who have a background on nutrition and help the team in that aspect can make up to six figures on an annual basis.

However, delving into an NBA waterboy salary makes you realize life is so unfair. Many professional basketball players that are not in the NBA make considerably less. For instance, players in the NBA G-League starts out at $35,000 and may increase with experience. Some of them may not even get a call-up and had to do other jobs, like Andre Ingram, who works as a tutor on the side, while playing in the G-League for 11 years.

Wrapping Things Up: How Much Do NBA Waterboys Make

We all have to blaze our own trails, so to speak, and many who love basketball and the NBA make a career out of being a waterboy. It is not the flashiest job in the world, but considering its perks and the fact that they interact with the most famous athletes on the planet, what is there to hate? After all, beggars can’t be choosers.

NBA waterboy qualifications vary for every organization, but because they are around helping athletes prepare for games, do exercises, and rehab their injuries, it should follow that they have a presence of mind and a keen eye for the needs of others. You have to be physically fit to do basketball-related tasks. A background in sports science and nutrition or a college diploma will give you an edge over your competition, although that’s not a requirement.

If there is one thing that you should learn from this article, it’s the fact that you should go out of your way to get this job. Contact your local NBA team and inquire acquaintances, friends, and family that may have a connection to an NBA team office. Even if they may not hire right now, chances are, knowing specific details about the job will get you ready for the next opportunity. Think about it: You will be spending time with the sport you love, the best individuals who play the game, and you are going to get paid to do it!

While on the subject of getting paid, NBA waterboys are making handsome salaries, right at the middle income status. That’s not precisely Gregg Popovich or Steph Curry level, but at that money, you can take the kids to decent private schools and possibly buy a cozy suburban house. In fact, the average annual NBA waterboy salary is more significant than what a G-League player makes for a season. 

That’s kind of sad and unfair, but the point is, NBA waterboys make a lot of money, and if you’re considering it as a career path, the job is not too bad at all. So the next you tell people you are an NBA waterboy and they ask, “How much do NBA waterboys make on Average?”, you can go right and say “a lot.”

Did you find this post helpful? Then you may also like our post on how much do NBA mascots make here

We also answer other frequently answered questions on basketball here.

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Hoops Addict
Hoops Addict

Hoops Addict was created to help basketball fans of all ages learn more about the sport and find the best basketball gear to improve their ability to hoop. He has been a huge basketball fan for decades, watching thousands of basketball games through the years to learn the ins and outs of the game.

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