Forbes recently released the NBA’s rich-list and the Milwaukee Bucks star is the only player in the top 10 below the age of 30.
Forbes has published its list of the highest-paid players in the NBA. The list refers to the income of NBA stars in the 2022-23 season and features two categories of income.
The first one being the player’s contract and the other is sponsorships.
The list sees the usual suspects in the game dominate as expected with Los Angeles Lakers’ 37-year-old superstar LeBron James who will be heading into his 20th pro season, topping the list.
In June, James became the first active athlete to be certified a billionaire by Forbes.
However, courtesy of the lucrative sneaker deals these superstars have—which can exceed $20 million annually, the top ten players on this list racked in an estimated $330 million off the court – the highest figure for any sports league on the planet.
According to Forbes estimates, even football can’t compare, with the world’s ten highest-paid players totaling $208 million.
The NBA’s off-court total represents an 8% improvement on last year’s record of $306 million, and a 123% jump from a decade ago.
But the on-court growth has been just as stark—120% since 2012-13.
Without further ado, here are the Top 10 highest-paid NBA superstars on the planet according to Forbes:
#1. Lebron James – $124.5 million
According to Forbes estimates, only ten active athletes have surpassed $100 million in pretax earnings in a single year, and James is one of just five athletes to have done so in a team sport (after football stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar and NFL quarterback Dak Prescott).
The 37-year-old Lakers forward’s work off the court, as an investor and entrepreneur, doesn’t show up in Forbes’ earnings estimates including the SpringHill Co., the entertainment development and production business he cofounded that was valued at about $725 million in a deal last year.
James also recently invested in German manufacturer Canyon Bicycles, carbon-neutral milk brand Neutral Foods and a Major League Pickleball team.
He is also a cofounder of Ladder – a sports nutrition company whose supplements became available in retail stores for the first time in July through a partnership with the Vitamin Shoppe.
Last month saw the release of the latest edition of his signature shoe, the LeBron 20—a number that highlights both his 20 years in the NBA and his 20 years working with American sports brand giants Nike.
It’s no wonder why the billionaire basketballer tops this list.
#2. Stephen Curry – $95.1 million
No player will make more on the court this season than Curry.
The 34-year-old Golden State Warriors star, who has been described as ‘the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA’ is just starting a four-year, $215 million contract extension that is set to pay him around $59.6 million for the 2025-26 season.
Curry also ranks second with his off-court earnings, behind only LeBron James, and his $95.1 million total would have been an NBA earnings record as recently as the 2019-20 season.
The Warriors guard, who is also an avid golfer, is a playable character in the new video game PGA 2K23.
His content company, Unanimous Media, is co-producing an animated Netflix reboot of the 1970s sitcom Good Times, and Curry Brand, his imprint within Under Armour, is set to release the tenth edition of his signature sneaker as rumors swirl that the shoemaker is looking to tie him down with an incredible lifetime contract.
#3. Kevin Durant – $88 million
After unsuccessfully seeking a trade over the summer, Durant is settling back in with the Nets for the first season of a four-year, $198 million extension he signed in 2021.
The 34-year-old Nets forward struck a partnership with FanDuel in February through his media business, Boardroom.
His venture capital firm 35V, which has investments in more than 75 companies, recently acquired stakes in the Premier Lacrosse League; Happy Viking, the nutrition brand cofounded by tennis champion Venus Williams; and Athletes Unlimited, which organizes women’s sports leagues.
#4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – $86.5 million
For the second straight year, Antetokounmpo is the only one of the NBA’s top ten earners who has yet to turn 30.
The 27-year-old Bucks forward, who was the subject of the film Rise, released on Disney+ in June, has added partnerships with online gambling site Novibet and luxury watchmaker Breitling and has been picking up stakes in a number of companies, including telemedicine platform Antidote Health.
He also has a partnership with social networking platform WhatsApp and recently opened a shop, AntetokounBros, at the airport in his native Athens, with his four brothers.
#5. Russell Westbrook – $82.1 million
After a bumpy debut season in Los Angeles following a July 2021 trade with the Washington Wizards, Westbrook exercised his $47.1 million option to return to the Lakers this year.
The 33-year-old guard owns ten auto dealerships in southern California and launched a media business called RW Digital in July, partnering with marketing firm Causal IQ to help brands reach diverse audiences.
#6. Klay Thompson – $60.6 million
Thompson, who got back on the court with the Warriors in January after missing two seasons with injuries, has been sitting on the sidelines during the preseason out of an abundance of caution as Golden State looks to keep him healthy for the new season.
The 32-year-old guard will be a free agent in 2024 and has added Buffalo Wild Wings, Mountain Dew and NBA Top Shot maker Dapper Labs to his long list of sponsors over the last year.
He is also one of the four athlete founders behind the CBD brand Just Live.
#7. Damian Lillard – $60.5 million
Lillard signed a two-year, $122 million extension in July that, and along with his existing contract, he could delay his free agency until 2027.
Late last year, he cofounded Move, a company that makes footwear insoles targeted at athletes, and he recently bolstered his already-deep stable of endorsements by signing with Bose and sneaker retailer Kicks Crew.
The 32-year-old guard also reportedly played a part in designing the Trail Blazers’ new “Statement Edition” uniform.
#8. James Harden – $53 million
Harden declined a $47.4 million player option for this season and re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million contract with a player option for the 2023-24 season.
The new deal will pay him $14.4 million less in 2022-23 than he was due to make with his option but allowed Philadelphia to be active in the off-season.
Harden, who has leaned toward equity deals over traditional endorsements in recent years, invested in Tequila Gran Diamante this year and added to his fleet of Crunch Fitness franchises with a location in Katy, Texas.
The 33-year-old guard also released a signature wine collection through a partnership with Accolade Wines and opened an upscale restaurant in Houston called Thirteen by James Harden.
#9. Paul George – $51 million
George is back to lead the Clippers after missing three months last season due to an elbow injury, alongside Kawhi Leonard, who is himself returning from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2021-22 season.
The 32-year-old swingman, has recently signed sponsorship deals with American Express, banking app Chime and NFT startup Recur, as well as Crypto.com, the new naming rights partner of the arena the Clippers share with the Lakers.
#10. Jimmy Butler – $49.7 million
Last year, Butler signed a three-year, $146.4 million extension with a player option for 2025-26, and he immediately justified the Heat’s faith in him, leading Miami on a postseason run that fell five points short of the NBA finals.
After selling $20 cups of coffee out of his hotel room at the NBA’s 2020 playoff bubble in Florida, Butler turned his half-serious side hustle into a legitimate business by launching the coffee brand BigFace last October.
His startup then got plenty of exposure in an activation at the Miami Open tennis tournament in the spring.
The 33-year-old Heat forward has also said he is preparing to release a country album.
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