The NBA’s salary cap is now $112 Million, which is double the level which was a decade ago. According to Forbes, there are 35 NBA players expected to make at least USD$28 million in salary this season.
1. LeBron James ($111.2 million)
The king still is on the stop and on the way to reaching the Billion point, LeBron James was able to generate an impressive $70 off the court, with his Nike deal alone paying $32 million annually. That number, combined with his $41.2 million salary was enough to put him in top spot in Forbes’ 2021-22 highest earning NBA players list.
Most notably, his media and entertainment business, the SpringHill Company, announced the sale of a minority stake at a valuation of $725 million. Additionally, James lent his likeness to Epic Games’ Fortnite in July and just this week, joined gym company Tonal as an investor and brand ambassador.
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Total Earnings: $111.2 million
Salary: $41.2 million
Endorsements: $70 million
Check here LeBron James Net Worth
2. Steph Curry (USD$92.8 million)
In second place is The 3-point shooting wizard Curry. The two-time MVP and Golden State Warriors star raked in a cool $92.8 million over the period, including a whopping $47 million off the court. The biggest development for Curry has been the announcement of his new Under Armor-backed Curry brand.
Featuring a mixture of footwear, apparel, and accessories across multiple sports, the new venture is worth around $20 million dollars a year, but will pick up should the brand take off. Curry’s other ventures include his own production company, Unanimous Media, which was responsible for the competition series Holey Moley. Also just last month, he announced a new endorsement deal with cryptocurrency platform FTX.
Team: Golden State Warriors
Total Earnings: $92.8 million
Salary: $45.8 million
Endorsements: $47 million
Check here Stephen Curry Net Worth
3. Kevin Durant ($87.9 million)
Kevin Durant’s contract talks for him. Massive tech company Uber bought food-delivery service Postmates for USD$2.65 billion, a start-up that Durant had invested in back in 2016. According to Forbes, Durant turned his initial USD$1 million into USD$15 million thanks to the buyout. Investing in more than 80 companies through his firm Thirty-Five Ventures.
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Total Earnings: $87.9 million
Salary: $40.9 million
Endorsements: $47 million
Check here Kevin Durant Net Worth
4. Giannis Antekounmpo ($80.3 million)
It’s no surprise that reigning champion Giannis Antetokounmpo makes an appearance on the highest paid NBA players 2021-22 list. Back in December, the Greek Freak signed the richest deal in NBA history, securing a five-year contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks worth a whopping $228 million. At just 26 years of age, Antetokounmpo is definitely one of the youngest players on this list, so you can expect to see his stock rise in the next few years, particularly if Disney has anything to do with it. The entertainment giant has reportedly locked up the rights to a movie about his life, following his journey from Greece to NBA stardom. According to Forbes, the film will be released in 2022.
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Total Earnings: $80.3 million
Salary: $39.3 million
Endorsements: $41 million
Check here Giannis Antetokounmpo Net Worth
5. Russell Westbrook ($74.2 million)
Although he had been moving in between teams and having been on a low form. Over the last year, Westbrook secured an impressive $74.2 million, with his Nike partnership and as well as 10 Southern Californian auto dealerships accounting for most of that.
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Total Earnings: $74.2 million
Salary: $44.2 million
Endorsements: $30 million
Also Read | Russell Westbrook Net Worth
6. James Harden ($62.3 million)
The Beard has locked up one of the biggest contracts in NBA history and it shows. James Harden’s huge $44.3 million salary has kept the 76r’s in fine form, however, in December, Harden announced he had joined fragrance brand Pura as an investor and creative director. Harden also enjoys endorsements from Stance, Art of Sport and BodyArmor.
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Total Earnings: $62.2 million
Salary: $44.3 million
Endorsements: $18 million
Also Read | James Harden Net Worth
7. Damian Lillard ($56.3 million)
Portland’s star player and perpetual All-NBA guard Damian Lillard just jumped three spots in this year’s highest-earning NBA players list. He earned much of his $39 million through endorsement deals and a new partnership with Gatorade. Perhaps more impressively, Lillard also launched an annual internship program last year for a half-dozen disadvantaged students at high schools in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.
Team: Portland Trailblazers
Total Earnings: $56.3 million
Salary: $39.3 million
Endorsements: $17 million
8. Klay Thompson ($54 million)
He might be going through one of the most unlucky injury runs in sports history, but Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is still making some serious coin. This year, the All-Star joined Alex Morgan, Travis Pastrana and Paul Rodriguez to launch a CBD brand, Just Live. Further to that, the injured star has endorsement deals with Tissot, Mercedes-Benz, Kaiser Permanente and a monster deal with Chinese shoe partner Anta.
Team: Golden State Warriors
Total Earnings: $54 million
Salary: $38 million
Endorsements: $16 million
9. Paul George ($47.8 million)
With Kawahi being in doubt it’s all about Paul. However, motivation should be high with the 31-year-old kicking off a four-year, $190 million contract extension. His partners include Nike, Gatorade, AT&T and recently became an investor in-home gym company Tonal.
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Total Earnings: $47.8 million
Salary: $39.3 million
Endorsements: $8.5 million
Check here Paul George Net Worth
10. Jimmy Butler ($47 million)
With a healthy salary and Signing with Chinese shoe brand Li-Ning last year, the Miami Heat star is also the biggest partner in an endorsement portfolio that partners with Tag Heuer watches and Jaybird earbuds. Most interestingly, Butler has gone legit with his Bigface coffee business, announcing this month that he has joined Shopify’s creator program.
Team: Miami Heat
Total Earnings: $47 million
Salary: $36 million
Endorsements: $11 million
Check here Jimmy Butler Net Worth and All time Richest NBA Players in history
