Born in San Antonio in 1986, Wesley Matthews, Jr. came from a true sports pedigree. His father, Wesley Matthews Sr., was a former NBA point guard who won two NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. His mother, Pam Moore, also played basketball and was an All-American runner.

Matthews, who is currently a six-foot five-inch shooting guard was named Mr. Basketball in 2005 while playing for James Madison Memorial High School. After high school, Matthew received a lot of pressure to attend his father’s alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Instead, Matthews chose to go to Marquette University. He made a good choice and was named Second-Team All-Big East in 2009.

Despite several successful seasons at Marquette, Matthews went undrafted during the 2009 NBA draft. Not one to give up, he attended various team camps and eventually signed with the Utah Jazz. He played with the Jazz in 2009 and 2010. After the 2010 season, he signed a five-year, $34 million contract with the Portland Trailblazers.

During his first year in Portland, Matthews improved his game and was moved to the starting lineup when Brandon Roy hurt his knee. Matthews went on to play 250 consecutive games, and did not miss a single start until he hurt his left hip in December 2012. His teammates, fans and even sports commentators called him the “Iron Man”.

In 2013, he once scored 23 points in 25 minutes. By January 2015, Matthews was the Trail Blazers all-time leading scorer. Sadly, he tore his Achilles tendon in March 2015 in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Surprisingly, it was the Mavericks that met the injured player’s monetary demands and agreed to a four- year, $70 million contract in July. This is a risky move for a player that just suffered such a serious injury, but the Maverick’s feel that Matthew’s upside and history of toughness makes the deal worth the risk.

Celebrity Net Worth says that Matthews is currently worth $8 million. He is set to make at least $16.4 million each year for the next four years. Not bad for a player who wasn’t even drafted just 6 years ago.

Given the number of professional athletes, especially those in the NBA, who have made the news for not managing their money well, it is nice to hear success stories from those, like Matthews, who have.

Source: boss.com

Date Posted: Thursday, July 23rd, 2015 , Total Page Views: 1480