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Endorsements And All; NBA’s Best Paid
The views per game, the anticipation of games, the previews, the salaries and endorsements, all make the NBA what it is today. The money-spinning league that has over the years grown to be the best basketball league in the world. While the major focus is on the game, how much the key stakeholders in the game, the players, earn, remains a top question.
With the growth the NBA has had in its over seven decades of operation, the league has stabilized well and it is a benchmark for many that wish to go professional. It means even the fringe players in NBA sides earn handsome packages as the commercial profile of the league soars.
This is partly the reason why basketball odds are some of the most sought after, and when it comes to the NBA, Wincomparator lines up some of the most competitive odds from a wide range of bookies.
Forbes lists LeBron James as the highest earning player in the NBA in 2022, which in effect means for the eighth straight season, he is the top earner. The 36-year old is reported to have pocketed $111.2 million in the 2021/22 season, a big amount of which has come from off-court endeavors, seeing that he has a $41.2 million NBA contract.
Steph Curry is another top name in basketball circles and is currently the best shooter, a two-time MVP. He helped his team, Golden State Warriors to yet another championship in 2021/22 and with his rising profile has been a rise in earnings. He is on a $45.8 million salary at Golden State Warriors and that, added to his endorsements, saw him bank $92.8 million for the season, making him the second highest earner.
Brooklyn Nets’ player Kevin Durant is an investor on the court and off it, and his businesses have been doing well. Forbes reports that he banked total earnings of$87.9 million in the past season. This is about twice his earnings on the court, which shows his business acumen. Durant is on a $40.9 million salary contract at the Nets, and topped it up with endorsements worth $47 million in the year.
A former NBA champion and MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the fourth highest earner in the NBA, by Forbes’ figures for 2021/2022. The Greek national signed a massive contract with Milaukee Bucks in December 2021, penning a five-year deal worth a record $228 million. His salary for the year was $39.3 million and he backed that up with endorsements worth $41 million, earning a total of $80.3 million.
Russel Westbrook hasn’t had very good moments in the NBA in recent times, and he is rumored to be on the way out of the LA Lakers. His bad days on the court have however not affected his profits off it. He made a total of $74.2 million in the past year, his salary of $44.2 million definitely accounting for most of this. Westbrook’s endorsements, among them deals with Nike earned him a total $30 million.
