NBA Players are one of the richest athletes on the 2021 list. Let us check on the 5 richest NBA players in 2021.
The sports industry found a boom in its incomes with a continuous increase in the fan base and merchandise sales. Athletes individually also made fortunes from the game and their income got a boost from various endorsement contracts with other giant companies.
Basketball is also one of the most famous sport and ranks 7th in world sports ranking according to worldatlas.com. NBA being the prime competition among basketball leagues attracts most of the fan following and so do its players.
But Covid-19 situation and various restrictions affected the league income, as the restriction on arenas limited their ticket sale and merchandise sale. This accounts for approximately 40% of total basketball arenas and franchises income. So to compensate for it, players accepted a 20% pay cut from their salary.
Still, some NBA players were fortunate enough to earn millions. Let us check on players who make in the top 5 richest NBA Players list.
The richest NBA player is LeBron James (US$ 111.2 million)
King James as famously known in NBA world is the richest player on the list. He was at the top of the list for the previous 6 years also. As per data and projections, LeBron is expected to earn approximately US$ 95.4 million in the year 2021.
James has also taken a 20% pay cut from his original salary in early 2021. He now earns around US$ 41.4 million from the Lakers. He will also earn the rest of US$ 70 million from endorsements and media deals.
This earning made LeBron the highest-earning basketball player and also among American team sport players. With his full salary from the Lakers, he now joined a rare group of active players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Tiger Woods who earn in 6 figures. James also starred in the movie “Space Jam”.
Stephen Curry (US$ 92.8 million)
NBA sharpshooter is also among the top earners in the NBA. He is second on the list with estimated earnings of US$ 92.8 million in 2021. The ratio of on-court and off-court earning differs from the leader LeBron as Steph has considerably lesser value deals than James.
Stephen will earn around US$ 47 million outside the NBA court. It includes his deal with Under Armor for the Curry Brand – similar to Nike’s deal with Michael Jordan. It will give yearly US$ 20 million to Steph, which will grow as brands reach new highs.
The 3-pointer shooter is 4 years younger than LeBron, and also has lesser years run in NBA but he has the best contract in NBA with his franchise. If his form and consistency continue; he might overtake LeBron someday.
Kevin Durant (US$ 87.9 million)
Brooklyn Nets Superstar Kevin Durant is the highest-earning player in their franchise history. He makes around US$ 41 million from the Nets and can rise to US$ 43 million with possible bonuses.
He also has investments in various businesses like Postmate – which was further purchased by Uber for US$ 2.3 billion. Durant also has some lucrative endorsements with Google, Nike, and the Alaska Air group. His off-court earnings are around US$ 45 million.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (US$ 80 million)
Current NBA Champion and Finals MVP also made to the list of richest NBA players. His earnings are around US$ 80.3 million, with nearly 50-50 contributions from the franchise salary and off-court endorsements.
Though Giannis is 7th in fetching salary from the franchise, his huge fan following gave him many brands like Nike, Hulu, JBL, Tissot, and T-mobiles, etc. At age of 27 years, he is the youngest among other players in the richest NBA players list.
Completing the top 5 richest NBA players is Russell Westbrook (US$ 74.2 million)
Russell Westbrook’s name is still one of the prominent names among NBA fans. His huge contract contributes largely to his income. Westbrook earns around US$ 44 million from the Lakers. His contract with the Lakers ranks 3rd highest in NBA.
Russell Westbrook has a deal with Nike for his shoe line under the brand Jordan umbrella. He also owns 10 car dealerships in California.
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