LeBron tops Forbes' highest-paid NBA players list for 9th straight year
LeBron James remains the highest-paid player in the NBA entering the 2022-23 season.
The 37-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star claimed the top spot on Forbes' annual list of the league's highest-paid players for the ninth straight year, bringing in an estimated $124.5 million in total earnings. He'll earn $44.5 million in on-court salary and another $80 million off the court.
James is just the fifth athlete in a team sport to surpass $100 million in pretax earnings in one year, joining soccer stars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar, along with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, according to Forbes.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is second on the NBA list at $95.1 million, including a league-high salary of $48.1 million. Rounding out the top five are the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant ($88 million), the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo ($86.5 million), and the Lakers' Russell Westbrook ($82.1 million).
The NBA's 10 highest-paid players are expected to take home a collective $751 million before taxes and agents' fees, an increase of 5% from last year's record amount of $714 million and a 122% increase from a decade ago.
Here's the complete top 10:
| RANK | PLAYER | TOTAL EARNINGS | SALARY | ENDORSEMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | LeBron James | $124.5M | $44.5M | $80M |
| 2. | Stephen Curry | $95.1M | $48.1M | $47M |
| 3. | Kevin Durant | $88M | $43M | $45M |
| 4. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $86.5M | $42.5M | $44M |
| 5. | Russell Westbrook | $82.1M | $47.1M | $35M |
| 6. | Klay Thompson | $60.6M | $40.6M | $20M |
| 7. | Damian Lillard | $60.5M | $42.5M | $18M |
| 8. | James Harden | $53M | $33M | $20M |
| 9. | Paul George | $51M | $42.5M | $8.5M |
| 10. | Jimmy Butler | $49.7M | $37.7M | $12M |