The top NBA players are earning millions of dollars annually from lucrative endorsements and their generous salaries. From supermax contracts to short-term deals and other sponsorships, basketball stars are living the dream of any athlete.
For the current season, the average NBA player salary is estimated to be around $7.7 million, which is higher than the previous year, where the number was around $6.4 million. NBA’s fast-growing popularity is bringing a considerable increase in the revenue of the players every year, including the highest-paid basketball superstars.
Below, we will dive into the list of the highest-paid players of the 2020 NBA season. Of course, we will take into consideration their annual salary and endorsements since most of them are earning more from advertisements and sponsorship deals.
Lebron James – $114 million
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Small Forward
Salary: $39.2 million
Endorsements: $80.6 million
Facts about the athlete: Even though his four-year Lakers contract will bring Lebron James over $153 million, he still makes more money from endorsements. His main backer Nike named a research lab in Beaverton, Oregon after James, a gesture that made the superstar shed tears. In 2020, the athlete will again hold the NBA’s highest-paid player title for the sixth season in a row.
Stephen Curry – $109 million
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Point Guard
Salary: $43 million
Endorsements: $66 million
Facts about the athlete: In 2017, the NBA’s MVP signed a five-year supermax contract worth $201 million with GS Warriors. Although he has suffered a broken hand injury and only played in four games the last season, he is still the highest-paid basketball player with an annual average salary of over $40 million.
Kevin Durant – $90.3 million
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Small Forward
Salary: $39 million
Endorsements: $51.3 million
Facts about the athlete: Even though he hasn’t been playing since he has torn his Achilles tendon during last year’s finals against the Warriors, he still managed to get a four-year max deal with the Brooklyn Nets worth over $160 million. If Durant and Irving will be on the court during the 2020-21 season, the Nets will once again be one of the most powerful NBA teams.
Russell Westbrook – $67 million
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Point Guard
Salary: $41 million
Endorsements: $26 million
Facts about the athlete: Acquired by Houston in July 2019 from trade with Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook is not only the second-best paid point guard, but he has also signed some of the most lucrative endorsement deals in the industry.
James Harden – $64.8 million
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: Shooting Guard
Salary: $40.8 million
Endorsements: $24.8 million
Fact for fans: The former league MVP has entered his 11th season in the NBA and has just started his $171 million four-year contract extension with the Rockets signed back in 2017. The new deal extends his previous contract signed in 2016 which paid him an average salary of $29 million. By the 2022-23 season, the Harden and Westbrook backcourt will be making $94 million in total for their services.
Kyrie Irving – $62.6 million
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Point Guard
Salary: $33.3 million
Endorsements: $29.3 million
Facts about the athlete: According to Essentially Sports, the former NBA champion has banked nearly 30 million dollars from the sponsorship deals he signed with Pepsi, Panini, Nike, and Foot Locker. Now that he is playing for the Nets, we shall see if his endorsement revenue will increase or not.
Klay Thompson – $56.9 million
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Shooting Guard
Salary: $35.3 million
Endorsements: $21.9 million
Facts about the athlete: The shooting guard hasn’t been on the court since his ACL tear in Game 6 of the last year’s NBA Finals. While both he and his fans are excited for his return this season, the Warriors have stated that they won’t bring one of their MVPs back in the game until he has fully recovered.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – $56.8 million
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Position: Small Forward
Salary: $27.5 million
Endorsements: $29.3 million
Facts about the athlete: Giannis was the first basketball player to finish a season in the top 20 of all five statistics (total points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks). In 2019 he won the NBA Most Valuable Player title and his major endorsement deals were signed with Nike and Hulu. It is said that the GS Warriors wanted to add the star to their roster. However, the fact that they already have a high salary cap made them change their mind.
Chris Paul – $53 million
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: Point Guard
Salary: $41.3 million
Endorsements: $11.7 million
Facts about the athlete: During the previous season, Houston and Oklahoma City traded Paul and Westbrook in a four-year mega-deal worth $159.7 million that will expire in 2022. Rumors say that he was considering opting out of his final year of the current contract. However, the basketball champion stated that “No chance. That’s not happening. Nope.”
Damian Lillard – $52.1 million
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Point Guard
Salary: $31.6 million
Endorsements: $20.5 million
Facts about the athlete: Apart from the great paycheck he receives from the Trail Blazers, Damian has sponsorship deals signed with Adidas, Panini, and Hulu. His signature shoes, the Adidas Dame 4 are in the top NBA bestsellers.
Most of the NBA players gain so much popularity that they become global icons. Many of them become brand ambassadors for various companies, such as sportswear or soda. Some of them even appear in movies or TV series, which brings them even more fame. Take for example the retired Michael Jordan, who has the Nike Jordan collection named after him and he also starred in the Space Jam movie. As you can see, there is more than being a talented athlete when it comes to becoming an NBA superstar, but checking the annual earnings of a superstar basketball player will for sure make many people envious.