Forget the flashy cars and diamond chains — the real flex is owning an entire island, and former NBA veteran Reggie Bullock understood that better than most. While plenty of pro athletes chase surface-level luxury, the twelve-year league journeyman — who suited up for the Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, Pistons, Suns, and Rockets — put his money into something far more permanent: a luxury Caribbean island that now doubles as a full-fledged resort.
What a Flip
Bullock’s island story began in 2022, when he swooped in and bought a five-acre property in Placencia, Belize, for $2.2 million. With one of his children named Heart, the island’s natural heart shape felt symbolic, like it was made for him. At first, the vision was small-scale.
“I was just going to live in it, have it as a vacation home,” he said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
But after a conversation with former Mavericks teammate Dennis Smith Jr., everything shifted.
Bullock admitted, “I was building it as my dream home, but got caught up in the tourism industry and made it a flip.”
BULLOCK ISLAND IS COMPLETE: 11-year NBA veteran Reggie Bullock completed construction on his $10 Million, 5-acre island in Belize called “Bullock Island.”
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) November 12, 2025
The island is a resort for his family & friends, & he recently held a basketball camp at his basketball court on the… pic.twitter.com/fsRb64tNWV
Once the flip switch flipped, he didn’t seem to hesitate.
“But now I’m just going the resort way, allowing people to rent out this home and have the six other villas that I’ll have for people to be able to rent off,” he added. That pivot launched a $10 million development that turned the island into a high-end destination open to the public.
Bullock Island now includes a four-bedroom mansion with a pool and movie theater, plus six villas — five positioned directly on the oceanfront. Guests get premium amenities like an ocean-view pool, an on-site restaurant and bar, wellness and fitness facilities, daily housekeeping, and shuttle service to nearby attractions. It’s a layout that taps directly into Belize’s booming luxury tourism market.
Bullock had the financial runway to do it.
According to Spotrac, he played eleven NBA seasons, earning more than $53 million in salary. After his rookie deal, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract in 2017, followed by a two-year, $8.2 million deal in 2019. His biggest payday came in 2021 with a three-year, $30-plus million contract from the Dallas Mavericks — a foundation for the kind of long-term wealth moves he’s making now.
Belize itself is one of the hottest investment zones in the Caribbean.
ReMax reports that the country’s English-speaking population, stable political climate, low property taxes, and lack of capital gains taxes make it especially attractive to foreign buyers. Tourism is Belize’s economic engine, and 2024 proved it with 562,405 overnight visitors — up 21 percent from the previous year and nearly 12 percent above pre-pandemic levels. The country’s appeal is multilayered: the Barrier Reef, lush jungles, Mayan ruins, wildlife reserves, and calm beaches, especially in hubs like Placencia.
Belize is investing more than $250 million to expand the Philip Goldson International Airport, which is expected to boost accessibility and further increase tourism demand. As a result, luxury villas, waterfront estates, and private islands have become some of the country’s fastest-appreciating assets.
In fact, it is considered one of the top places to invest in real estate in North America, attracting major corporations like Marriott, Four Seasons, and Six Senses, according to ReMax.
Bullock Island isn’t just beautiful — it’s profitable.