NBA players continue to make large amounts of money propelled by massive contracts and off-the-court sponsorships.
According to a report from Sportico, LeBron will be leading the charge of the highest-paid players in the league this season, reaping an astounding $128 million in salary and sponsorships. Per Sportico, that’s 25% more than any other player.
LeBron, 38, remains one of the best players and biggest draws in the league. He’ll make $45 million in salary this year, and almost double that amount with $80 million in sponsorship deals. That includes his lifetime deal with Nike which pays him $30 million per year, and other deals with AT&T, Beats, Crypto.com, GMC and PepsiCo.
The top 15 on Sportico’s list will amass more than $1 billion this season in salary and sponsorship revenue, with players like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and other superstars making the list.
Perhaps the greatest part of this list is the fact that most of these incredible athletes have founded businesses and charitable efforts and foundations that have enabled them to expand their presence and impact off of the court.
LeBron has his SpringHill Company and opened the “I Promise” school in 2018. Steph Curry has a massive deal with Under Armour that also includes him being the President of the Curry Brand. He also helped launch Howard University’s golf program and is the only team at the school that has a deal with Under Armour (the Bison are sponsored by Jordan Brand). Curry also launched Unanimous Media in 2018 to focus on “family, faith and sports-based” content.
Kevin Durant also has his own lifetime deal with Nike and in 2016 he launched 35V with his business partner Rich Kleiman. Since then, the company created its own media company, Boardroom, and invested in various sports properties including Gotham FC of the NWSL, MLS’s Philadelphia Union and most recently, Pickleball.
NBA athletes are some of the richest athletes in America and trail only soccer players globally.
But as the NBA continues its global growth and eventually signs its new media deal in 2024 (expected), fans can expect these numbers to continue to climb.
Here’s the list from Sportico. You can also read the full story here.
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