For every NBA player, the moment they sign their professional contract marks a life-altering milestone. It is not only the realization of finally making it big in a sport they have loved and played since childhood, but also the financial breakthrough that comes with it — million-dollar deals that instantly change their life and their families.

Naturally, for Jeff Teague, who came from a humble background, his first paycheck was a moment of pure joy. Yet, even in that excitement, he was left shocked when he caught a glimpse of the paycheck belonging to the Atlanta Hawks‘ highest-paid player.

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JT was in disbelief after looking at Iso Joe’s check stub

When Teague entered the league during the 2009-10 season with the Hawks, they were one of the deepest and most electrifying teams in the Eastern Conference. Thus, unsurprisingly, their core players were bound to be well compensated for their roles in making the team a serious title contender.

As a rookie, Teague was thrilled to see himself making $86,000 for just two weeks of work, but his pride quickly shifted to astonishment when he compared his earnings to those of Joe Johnson, who was entitled to earn $14.9 million annually.

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Recalling his moment of realization in the NBA, Teague laughed off at how the difference was so vast that he instantly developed the need to improve his status in the Hawks’ organization and climb the financial ladder in the league. Funnily enough, in Jeff’s words, Joe’s two-week paycheck was bigger than what he earned in his life.

“How much money people got, that’s the thing that caught me off guard. Like you hear people make millions. So, one day, not to tell the business, f—k it. We used to get check stubs, and I got my check stub, probably at like $86,000 for the two weeks, whatever. I was like, ‘DAMN!’ So, I just grabbed Joe’s, like, let me see what Joe’s looks like, that s–t said $2 million,” Teague recalled on his podcast. “$2 MILLION FOR TWO WEEKS! I’m like, ‘I got to figure some s—t out.’ Like this is my life.”

Teague uplifted his own financial value

At the time, Teague’s rookie deal placed him as just the ninth-highest-paid player on the Hawks’ roster. However, after his mindset began to shift, Jeff secured a contract extension with Atlanta in 2013 and firmly established his worth. The franchise rewarded him with a four-year, $32 million deal, giving him an annual salary of $8 million. From then on, JT’s own pay stubs told a different story.

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It is safe to conclude that the younger players on those later Hawks teams, such as Dennis Schroder, would’ve likely looked at Teague’s checks with the same wide-eyed reaction he once had when glancing at Johnson’s.

Such is the nature of NBA economics. Players may feel a sense of accomplishment when they first land a hefty paycheck, but reality soon sets in when they are confronted with the staggering differences in pay between themselves and the stars of their teams. Luckily for Jeff, the moment he glanced at Joe’s paycheck, he instantly motivated himself to be one of the highest-earning players on the team.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.