What is Kevin McHale's Net Worth and Salary?
Kevin McHale is an American basketball coach and former professional player who has a net worth of $16 million. Kevin McHale played in the NBA for the Boston Celtics from 1980 to 1993. Considered to be one of the greatest power forwards in history, he won three NBA championships with the Celtics during the 80s. Following his retirement from playing, McHale had a number of executive positions with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and later was the head coach of the Houston Rockets.
Kevin McHale was the first NBA player to shoot more than 60% from the field and over 80% from the free throw line.
The Celtics retired his team number – 32 – in his honor. In 1996 he was chosen as one of the Fifty Greatest Players and also included on the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was also inducted into NBA Hall of Fame. He appeared twice in the sitcom "Cheers," playing himself.
Career Earnings
During his NBA career, Kevin McHale earned $14 million in salary alone. At one point in the late 1980s, his $1 million annual salary was the fourth highest paycheck in the league. In his final two seasons he earned $3.5 million per year. Earning $3.5 million in the early 1990s is the same as earning $7.5 million per year in today's dollars.
Early Life
Kevin McHale was born on December 19, 1957 in Hibbing, Minnesota to Josephine and Paul. He is of Croatian ancestry on his mother's side and of Irish descent on his father's side. As a teen, McHale went to Hibbing High School, where he was a star basketball player. In 1976, he was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball.
Collegiate Career
For college, McHale went to the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1980. There, he played with the Golden Gophers basketball team as the power forward, averaging 15.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game across his four years. McHale ranks second in school history in career points, with 1,704, as well as in rebounds, with 950.
Boston Celtics, Part 1
In the 1980 NBA draft, McHale was chosen by the Boston Celtics. As the forward backing up Cedric Maxwell, he made an instant impression on the team, helping the Celtics finish the season with a league-leading 62-20 record. Moreover, McHale was named to the All-Rookie First Team. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls en route to a comeback victory against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Advancing to the NBA Finals, the Celtics took out the Houston Rockets to win the championship title. The following two seasons were less successful, as the Celtics failed to make it to the finals. After the 1982-83 season, McHale re-signed to the team; he went on to lead the Celtics to a league-leading 62 wins for the 1983-84 season, and claimed his first NBA Sixth Man Award. In the finals, McHale helped the Celtics notch another championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the 1984-85 season, McHale set a new Celtics single-game scoring record with 56 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Although the Celtics went on to claim their second consecutive Eastern Conference title, they fell to the Lakers in the finals. Greater success came the following season, with the Celtics putting up what is widely regarded as one of the best NBA teams in history. With McHale joined by Bill Walton, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, and Robert Parish, the Celtics dominated the league with a 67-15 record. This rose to 82-18 after the playoffs. Ultimately, the Celtics won their 16th overall NBA championship. McHale and the team went on to have another strong season in 1986-87, with McHale recording new career highs in scoring and rebounding and the Celtics claiming the Eastern Conference title. However, the team fell to the Lakers in the finals.
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Boston Celtics, Part 2
McHale was sidelined for the start of the 1987-88 season due to a foot injury. When he returned, he helped lead the Celtics to yet another Eastern Conference appearance, although this time the team lost to the Detroit Pistons. The next season, the Celtics faced off against the Pistons again in the playoffs, and again lost. In 1989-90, the team fell in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks. Following another round of injuries, McHale returned in 1990-91 to lead the Celtics to an early 29-5 record. However, injuries continued to plague both him and Bird throughout the season. In the playoffs, the Celtics fell once again to the Pistons. McHale continued to struggle in the 1991-92 season, playing in just 56 games. The Celtics went on to fall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.
McHale played his final NBA season in 1992-93. Still hindered by leg and back injuries, he averaged just 10.7 points per game. However, he bounced back in the playoffs, averaging 19.6 points per game against the Charlotte Hornets. It was not quite enough, though, as the Hornets won the series in four games. Following the loss, McHale announced his retirement from NBA playing.
Post-Playing Career
After retiring from playing in the NBA, McHale became a television analyst and assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was soon promoted to assistant general manager, and then general manager. Later, following the firing of head coach Flip Saunders in early 2005, McHale became the new Timberwolves head coach. He remained in the position for a single season. McHale was eventually fired by the Timberwolves at the end of the 2008-09 season. In 2011, he replaced Rick Adelman as the new head coach of the Houston Rockets. Although he led the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2015, McHale was fired later in the year following a poor 4-7 start to the new season.
Beyond his coaching, McHale has served as an on-air analyst for TNT and NBA TV. Occasionally, he has appeared on the "NBA on TNT" in-studio show.
Personal Life
In 1982, McHale wed his wife Lynn. The couple had five children named Kristyn, Joseph, Michael, Alexandra, and Thomas. Alexandra passed away from lupus at the age of 23 in 2012.
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