Carmelo Anthony is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, but the New York Knicks superstar will not pass up the opportunity to become a billionaire in an instant.

Anthony, who will earn $22.88 million for the rest of the 2015-16 NBA season, admitted that he purchased Powerball tickets to get the chance to grab the $1.5 billion jackpot in the richest lottery in the world.

"I don't think I'm going to ever get hit by an asteroid, I don't think I'm ever going to be president. I might have a better chance to win Powerball," Anthony told ESPN.

Anthony, who is playing in the second year of his five-year contract worth $124 million, said that he will share the money if he will be the lucky winner of the huge jackpot prize.

Aside from Anthony, NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals will also try his luck. Ovechkin confirmed that he also purchased tickets. In fact, ESPN also reported that photos of him buying Powerball tickets went viral on social media.

"It was funny. Who's going to take a picture of me? It's crazy. People are crazy," Ovechkin said. "I don't know. Maybe one, maybe two. But there's no chance you're going to win. But if I win, I'll let you guys know."

Ovechkin, who netted his 500th career goal on Sunday, will earn $10 million a year from the 2015-16 season until 2020-21 season. The 30-year-old Russian signed a 13-year, $124 million contract in 2008.

Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young, who signed a fresh four-year deal worth $54 million before the 2015-16 NBA season, also confirmed to New York Post that he also purchased tickets through his wife.

"My wife has bought like 100 bucks worth of tickets," Young said. "It wouldn't be right if I didn't give myself a chance, so I said to my wife, 'Go pick up some.'"

New York Post also reported that even maids and homeless people took time to buy Powerball tickets. Manhattan Detention Complex inmates also joined the craze, as sources told NY Post that hundreds of inmates asked their loved ones to get tickets for them.

Powerball officials confirmed to NY Post that inmates are eligible to win the $1.5 billion jackpot as long as they were able to convince their friends or relatives to buy tickets for them.