{"id":265707,"date":"2025-11-06T14:29:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/265707\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T14:29:07","slug":"lebron-curry-durant-each-top-100m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/265707\/","title":{"rendered":"LeBron, Curry, Durant Each Top $100M"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tLeBron James<\/a>, Stephen Curry<\/a> and Kevin Durant<\/a> have posted first-ballot Hall of Fame resumes on the court with a combined 10 NBA<\/a> titles, seven MVPs and 43 All-NBA team selections. The numbers off the court are even more stunning.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe trio\u2019s estimated career earnings from salaries and endorsements will hit $3.7 billion by season\u2019s end, with Curry and Durant joining their longtime rival in an exclusive club: the only NBA players to earn $1 billion in salary and endorsements while still active (Michael Jordan hit $1 billion after his retirement). It\u2019s a threshold that only six non-NBA players hit during their careers: Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Phil Mickelson and Floyd Mayweather.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor the 2025-26 season, James reclaimed his crown as the NBA\u2019s highest-paid player at $132.6 million, including an estimated $80 million off the court. James was the NBA\u2019s top earner for 11 straight seasons before Curry finished on top<\/a> last year at $156 million. The Golden State Warriors point guard\u2019s endorsement earnings got a one-time boost from his Under Armour contract extension. Kobe Bryant in 2012-13 was the last player to finish ahead of LeBron before Curry last season.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile James will make more than any other basketball player this season, his $52.6 million Lakers salary once again trails many of his fellow All-Stars. It ranks No. 12 overall for the 2025-26 season. James has had the top salary only once (2016-17) during his 23-year career. At $59.6 million, Curry has the top playing salary for the ninth straight year.<\/p>\n

\n\tJames\u2019 off-court earnings have exceeded his team salary since he was drafted first overall in 2003 and joined the Cleveland Cavaliers armed with a $90 million Nike deal, plus sponsor deals with Coca-Cola and Upper Deck. Nike remains his biggest backer, with his current \u201clifetime\u201d deal signed in 2015 worth more than $1 billion<\/a>, according to his longtime business manager, Maverick Carter.<\/p>\n

\n\tJames\u2019 new brand partners this year include Richard Mille and Barbie-maker Mattel; in April, he became the first pro athlete to have a Ken doll. In March, Amazon signed<\/a> a multiyear deal for James\u2019 digital series,\u00a0Mind the Game,\u00a0which will be distributed across several Amazon properties.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 20 highest-paid NBA players will earn a combined $1.4 billion, up 2% versus last year. The off-court earnings represent 29% of the total, and James is the only one to make more from his brand partners than his NBA team.<\/p>\n

\n\tNBA salaries have skyrocketed as revenues rose, and players are entitled to 51% of the pie. Sixty NBA players are set to earn at least $30 million this year in salary, versus 35 in the NFL and 13 in MLB.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMethodology<\/p>\n

\n\tSportico\u00a0estimated off-court earnings for the 2025-26 season through conversations with those familiar with NBA endorsement deals. Also included are royalties from sneaker deals, as well as earnings from memorabilia, appearances, media and businesses tied to their celebrity. We exclude investment income unless it is connected to an endorsement agreement. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe salaries are base salaries for the season and do not include any playoff bonuses or incentives\u2014most of these players are on max-level contracts, which don\u2019t include incentives. We also did not deduct the 10% escrow payments withheld from contracts, which ensures the proper revenue split as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. The league\u00a0retained\u00a09.1%<\/a> of the $5.3 billion in player contracts from the 2024-25 season, but players are likely to keep most, if not all, of their 2025-26 salaries with the league\u2019s new 11-year, $76 billion TV contracts kicking in.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\t\tThe 20 Highest-Paid NBA Players\t<\/p>\n

\n\t1. LeBron James\u00a0(Los Angeles Lakers): $132.6 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $52.6 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $80 million |\u00a0Age: 40<\/p>\n

\n\tThis season marks James\u2019 23rd NBA campaign, and he has been selected for 21 All-NBA teams, six more than any other player in the history of the game. The longevity and dominance will push his career earnings to $1.7 billion by season\u2019s end<\/a>, on par with Messi for fourth all-time, behind Jordan, Woods and Ronaldo.<\/p>\n

\n\t2. Stephen Curry\u00a0(Golden State Warriors): $109.6 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $59.6 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $50 million |\u00a0Age: 37<\/p>\n

\n\tCurry\u2019s business interests. which are housed under Thirty Ink, include Unanimous Media, Gentleman\u2019s Cut Bourbon and Underrated Golf and Basketball. His other brand partners are Under Armour, Google, Chase, Rakuten and Fanatics.\u00a0Curry remains a lethal shooter with the highest free throw percentage in the history of the NBA, and his 4,093 career 3-pointers made are more than 800 ahead of second-ranked James Harden.<\/p>\n

\n\t3. Kevin Durant\u00a0(Houston Rockets): $103.3 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $53.3 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $50 million |\u00a0Age: 37<\/p>\n

\n\tKD signed a two-year contract worth $90 million with the Rockets after he was traded this summer from the Phoenix Suns. The deal was a $30 million discount on the max contract Durant was eligible for, and it gives Houston room to bolster its roster and avoid the NBA\u2019s second apron. It pushed his career playing salary, including money owed, to nearly $600 million, the highest in NBA history.<\/p>\n

\n\t4. Giannis Antetokounmpo\u00a0(Milwaukee Bucks): $99.1 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $54.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $45 million |\u00a0Age: 30<\/p>\n

\n\tAntetokounmpo is under contract with the Bucks through the 2026-27 season with a player option for the following year, but his potential departure from Milwaukee is always an NBA storyline. The Bucks are doing everything they can to satisfy the two-time MVP, including nabbing Myles Turner from the Pacers via a four-year, $109 million deal and signing two of Giannis\u2019 brothers, Thanasis and Alex, just ahead of the season start.<\/p>\n

\n\t5. Jayson Tatum\u00a0(Boston Celtics): $72.1 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $54.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $18 million |\u00a0Age: 27<\/p>\n

\n\tTatum will likely miss the entire 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during the 2025 NBA playoffs. He\u2019ll still collect his full salary, which is the first year of a five-year, $313 million contract that is the biggest in the history of the NBA. The Jordan Brand ambassador added Vertex Pharmaceuticals to his endorsement roster this year.<\/p>\n

\n\t6. Anthony Edwards\u00a0(Minnesota Timberwolves): $65.6 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $45.6 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $20 million |\u00a0Age: 24<\/p>\n

\n\tEdwards is the youngest member of the NBA\u2019s top-10 earners by more than two years, and one of the leaders to assume the face of the NBA moniker as the older guard nears retirement. Edwards led the Timberwolves to back-to-back Western Conference finals, and Adidas has pushed him hard in its marketing. Sprite, Fanatics, Chipotle, Bose, Hisense, Call of Duty and Panini are his other partners.<\/p>\n

\n\t7. Joel Embiid\u00a0(Philadelphia 76ers): $65.2 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $55.2 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $10 million |\u00a0Age: 31<\/p>\n

\n\tInjuries have limited Embiid to 58 total games during the past two seasons after he won the league\u2019s MVP award during the 2022-23 season. He has a three-year, $188 million contract extension that kicks in next season. Last year, Skechers added Embiid as an endorser in its goal to establish a basketball brand.<\/p>\n

\n\t8. Jimmy Butler\u00a0(Golden State Warriors): $65.1 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $54.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $11 million |\u00a0Age: 36<\/p>\n

\n\tIn February, Butler signed a two-year, $111 million contract extension with the Warriors after he forced a trade from the Miami Heat. Alo launched its first shoe collaborati<\/a>o<\/a>n<\/a> with Butler last month. The \u201crecovery\u201d shoe retails for $275.<\/p>\n

\n\t9. Nikola Jokic\u00a0(Denver Nuggets): $64.2 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $55.2 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $9 million |\u00a0Age: 30<\/p>\n

\n\tJokic\u2019s salary is tied with Embiid for the second-highest this season after Curry. He is eligible to sign a four-year extension next summer for $293 million. During the past five seasons, the Joker has won three NBA MVP awards and finished second the other two years.<\/p>\n

\n\t10. Devin Booker\u00a0(Phoenix Suns): $63.1 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $53.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $10 million |\u00a0Age: 29<\/p>\n

\n\tBooker, along with Durant and Bradley Beal, contributed to Suns owner Mat Ishbia paying $220 million in luxury tax penalties the past two seasons for the club\u2019s high payrolls. But of that trio, Booker is the only one left in Phoenix. In July, Booker agreed to a two-year, $145 million contract extension with the franchise through the 2029-30 season at the highest annual salary in NBA history.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\n\t11. Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u00a0(Los Angeles Lakers): $61 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $46 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $15 million |\u00a0Age: 26<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Mavericks\u2019 trade of the Serbian star to the Lakers rocked the sports world in February. In July, he agreed to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension through the 2027-28 season, eschewing a chance to test free agency next summer. Don\u010di\u0107 was first team All-NBA five straight seasons before injuries curtailed his 2024-25 campaign.<\/p>\n

\n\t12. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder): $58.3 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $38.3 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $20 million |\u00a0Age: 27<\/p>\n

\n\tSGA\u2019s dream season included a league-high 32.7 points per game, NBA MVP award and NBA Finals MVP nod while leading the Thunder to their first title since moving to Oklahoma City. He signed a four-year contract extension that tips off with the 2027-28 season worth an estimated $273 million. On top of that, he signed an extension with Converse last year that made him the brand\u2019s creative director of basketball.<\/p>\n

\n\t13. Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks): $58.1 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $53.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $5 million |\u00a0Age: 29<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Knicks acquired Towns from the Timberwolves just ahead of the 2024-25 season start, and he helped lead them to their first Eastern Conference final since 2000. He\u2019s in the second season of a four-year, $220 million contract he originally signed with Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\n\t14. Anthony Davis\u00a0(Dallas Mavericks): $57.6 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $54.1 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $3.5 million |\u00a0Age: 32<\/p>\n

\n\tDavis was on the other end of the Don\u010di\u0107 trade that ended his five-plus season run in Los Angeles. In 2023, the Lakers signed Davis to a three-year deal that was the richest NBA deal by average annual value at the time, with the $175 million pact kicking off this season. He ranks second in career blocks among active players, behind Brook Lopez.<\/p>\n

\n\t15. Donovan Mitchell\u00a0(Cleveland Cavaliers): $56.9 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $46.4 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $10.5 million |\u00a0Age: 29<\/p>\n

\n\tMitchell finished fifth in last season\u2019s MVP voting, as the Cavs won 64 regular-season games, their second-highest win total in franchise history. Mitchell has become an endorsement star with more than 10 partners, including Adidas, American Express, Bodyarmor and Skims.<\/p>\n

\n\t16. Paul George\u00a0(Philadelphia 76ers): $56.7 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $51.7 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $5 million |\u00a0Age: 35<\/p>\n

\n\tGeorge missed 41 games during the 2024-25 season after joining the 76ers under a four-year, $211.6 million free agent contract. He no longer has a signature shoe with Nike but still works with the brand, in addition to Kinder, GALA Sports, Panini, SCUF and American Express.<\/p>\n

\n\t17. Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers): $56.6 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $45.6 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $11 million |\u00a0Age: 25<\/p>\n

\n\tThe All-Star point guard will sit out the 2025-26 season recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder. Haliburton had been a Nike guy since he was drafted in 2020, but Puma signed him to a huge deal last year to be the face of the brand.<\/p>\n

\n\t18. Kawhi Leonard\u00a0(Los Angeles Clippers): $56.5 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $50 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $6.5 million |\u00a0Age: 34<\/p>\n

\n\tLeonard\u2019s endorsement deal with bankrupt environmentally focused financial services firm Aspiration has triggered an NBA investigation<\/a> over potential salary cap violations by the Clippers, whose owner Steve Ballmer invested in the company. At $7 million per year, Leonard\u2019s Aspiration sponsorship was worth more than his New Balance sneaker deal and almost every other player endorsement, outside of shoe deals.<\/p>\n

\n\t19. Cade Cunningham\u00a0(Detroit Pistons): $56.4 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $46.4 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $10 million |\u00a0Age: 24<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Pistons finished above .500 last year for only the second time since the 2007-08 season. Cunningham was the main driver of the sharp turnaround with his 26 points per game and seventh-place finish in MVP voting. He\u2019s built a deep roster of sponsors, led by Nike, that also includes Meta, 2K, Coinbase, Funko, The Sam Bernstein Law Firm,\u00a0Daiya Foods and Impossible Foods.<\/p>\n

\n\t20. James Harden\u00a0(Los Angeles Clippers): $55.2 million<\/p>\n

\n\tSalary: $39.2 million |\u00a0Endorsements: $16 million |\u00a0Age: 36<\/p>\n

\n\tHarden made an All-NBA team last year for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The Clippers rewarded the 36-year-old point guard with a two-year, $81 million contract extension.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have posted first-ballot Hall of Fame resumes on the court with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265708,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,122548,6695,2327,459,82,13596],"class_list":["post-265707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-data-viz","tag-kevin-durant","tag-lebron-james","tag-nba","tag-sports","tag-stephen-curry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265707","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265707\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}