LeBron James Tops Forbes List Of Highest-Paid NBA Players

The riches across sports increase year by year, throughout leagues both domestically and around the world. The NBA has a collection of some of the richest athletes in the United States, and Forbes released their annual rankings of which ones are the highest paid. And for the tenth year in a row, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers tops the list.

LeBron James Is The NBA’s Highest-Paid Athlete, Says Forbes

Highest-paid players in 2023 according to @Forbes

1. LeBron James – $117.6M
2. Steph Curry – $101.9M
3. Kevin Durant – $91.4M
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – $85.6M
5. Damian Lillard – $63.6M pic.twitter.com/PPNZTNWpSF

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 21, 2023

Forbes’ list takes into account both on-court and off-court earnings, and reports that the ten highest-paid players will earn a combined $746 million in 2023-24.

LeBron James is responsible for a solid portion of that. The superstar and now 21-year veteran will earn $117.6 million this year, with $47.6 million coming from on-court earnings and an estimated $70 million off of it. The earnings across his career make him the highest-paid player in NBA history, with more than $432 million in basketball contracts alone. His off-court endeavors are well known, as he now has his hands in the movie and media production game. Forbes says that the only athletes in the world who earn more off of their business endeavors are Cristiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer.

Curry Stepping Into The Media Game As Well

Stephen Curry to Produce Upcoming Mac Dre Documentary – https://t.co/mB9O6JzSNI

— warriorsworld (@warriorsworld) September 28, 2023

Steph Curry makes more money on the court than James does. The Golden State Warriors’ point guard comes in at number two on the list, as he earns just shy of $52 million from his contract this year. But he is now dabbling in media production with his personal documentary and the one he is creating about the late Mac Dre. Forbes says that Curry will earn $101.9 million in 2023-24.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the only player in the top-10 that doesn’t make $10 million+ in off-court earnings is Nikola Jokić, who makes $7 million through endorsements. But that may not last long, as Forbes is reporting that his agents are looking to capitalize on his recent success and secure a massive shoe deal.

Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard round out the top-5 on the list. The Bucks and Warriors both have two players within the top 6, as Klay Thompson makes an appearance.

As for LeBron James, he will become the first NBA player to surpass a half of a billion dollars in on-court earnings if he picks up his player option for next season.

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