It is no secret that the NBA has grown significantly from a financial standpoint over the years. For the most part, that is due to the NBA’s television and other sponsorship deals, as the league grew exponentially in the past few decades. With all that came money for the players. However, out of the many players in the league, a select few will be able to touch $400,000,000 or more in career earnings by 2030. And in that small list, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are in a class of their own.
Advertisement
In the past few years, stars have cut deals with teams that have allowed them high percentages of the franchise’s salary cap. Nowadays, even rookie extension deals cross $200,000,000 with ease. Tyrese Haliburton and LaMelo Ball’s recent extensions are fitting examples.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant will earn over $500 million in NBA salaries alone by 2030
Recently, a list was released for the players who would cross $400,000,000 in career earnings by 2030. This only includes NBA money, so any income received from endorsements is not part of the equation. The list is available in this tweet by Frank Michael Smith below.
The $400 Million Club
1. LeBron James $531m
2. Kevin Durant $500m
3. Steph Curry $470m
4. Damian Lillard $450m
5. Bradley Beal $429m
6. Nikola Jokic $427m
7. Chris Paul $420m
8. Karl-Anthony Towns $417m
9. Devin Booker $401m***Career earnings through 2030
— Frank Michael Smith (@frankmikesmith) July 21, 2023
All the names on this list can feel very happy about their financial success in the NBA. However, despite being on the same list, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are on a different level entirely, earning $531,000,000 and $500,000,000 respectively by 2030. KD is followed by the likes of Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, who’ll earn $470 million and $450 million respectively. 2023 NBA Champion Nikola Jokic is sixth on the list with $427 million.
Both KD and LeBron spent quite a bit of their careers being at the top. And while they both may have slipped a bit in recent years, they still stand among the best in the NBA. It is no wonder that it is these two over all others, who’ll will touch the half a billion mark over the next few years.
How would Michael Jordan have done in this era?
As many may expect, fans of Michael Jordan were beyond livid at the numbers on the list. After all, Jordan earned less than $100,000,000 over the course of his entire career. The tweet below by @jesterthaclown is an example of this thinking.
Mj would’ve made so many billions today
— 🃏 (@jesterthaclown) July 21, 2023
Setting the success of Michael Jordan aside, if he was an athlete today with the same talent and work ethic as back in the day, he’d certainly be worthy of such a number.
The biggest reason the league can afford to pay so much money to the players is because of its marketability. And one of the biggest reasons for that in the first place, is the iconic presence Jordan was, putting the world on notice about the league.
Simply put, it wouldn’t be harsh to say that MJ walked so superstars today could run.
