According to ChainCatcher and Cointelegraph, NBA Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson recently revealed that his $82 million contract signed in 2015 would be worth $31.75 billion if paid in Bitcoin at current prices. On the day of signing in October 2015, Bitcoin was priced at $270, and Thompson admitted that although friends had suggested buying Bitcoin, he did not take action due to concerns about volatility.
Thompson is currently deeply involved in the crypto field, serving as a brand ambassador for the Sportsbet.io crypto betting platform and hosting the basketball data analysis project TraceyAI. He revealed that he is actively promoting Bitcoin among NBA players but explicitly opposes issuing celebrity Meme coins: "Tokens for quick profits are like dark clouds, and athletes should support the ecosystem rather than harvest it."
Industry data shows that if Thompson had sold Bitcoin nine months after signing, its value would have doubled to $175 million. Despite missing the opportunity, Thompson stated that his current basketball career and crypto income are sufficient, and he is currently more focused on the long-term value of blockchain technology. According to on-chain records, American athletes such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Klay Thompson have chosen to pay part of their salaries in Bitcoin.
