Career Earnings: $528,695,302
To absolutely nobody’s shock, LeBron James headlines the list.
Not only is he LeBron freaking James, he’s the longest-tenured player of the 2000s. The King entered the NBA in 2003, so he’s signed nine contracts across his 20 combined seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Cavs again and Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron, as Durant did in Golden State several years later, took a discount with Miami to allow a stronger roster. That strategy paid on-court dividends with two NBA titles, as well.
Over the last decade, James has prioritized short-term contracts that have maximized both his salary and flexibility (read: leverage).
After collecting $48.7 million in 2024-25, he made history as the first player to surpass a half-billion dollars in NBA earnings.