The wealthiest NBA players: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and more
NBA superstars make millions of dollars yearly, not only from their respective teams but also through endorsements, sneaker deals, and events.
Michael Jordan, who ranks No. 1 on the list of the wealthiest NBA players, has a reported net worth of $3.2 billion as of April 2024. However, it’s interesting to note that he’s only made 2.93 percent of his total net worth from his NBA contracts.
We present the Top 12 wealthiest NBA players in the history of basketball.
Michael Jordan
Overall earnings: $3.2 billion
NBA earnings: $93,877,500 (2.93 percent)
Main endorsements: Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck, 2K Sports
Main investments: Charlotte Hornets, Nike, Jordan Brand, Cincoro Tequila, 23XI Racing, DraftKings, Michael Jordan Steakhouse, Sportradar, Muzik, Gigster, real estate
Magic Johnson
Overall earnings: $1.2 billion
NBA earnings: $38,002,860 (3.16 percent)
Main endorsements: Starbucks, 24 Hour Fitness, AMC Theatres, TGI Fridays, Converse
Main investments: EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, small ownership stakes in the NFL’s Washington Commanders, MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and MLS’ LAFC, Starbucks, movie theaters
LeBron James
Overall earnings: $1.2 billion
NBA earnings: $482,593,428 (40.21 percent)
Main endorsements: Nike, PepsiCo (Mountain Dew), Beats by Dre, Samsung, Walmart, AT&T, GMC, Rimowa, Taco Bell, Sprite
Main investments: Blaze Pizza, Fenway Sports Group, SpringHill Entertainment, Uninterrupted, Ladder, real estate
Shaquille O'Neal
Overall earnings: $805 million
NBA earnings: 292,198,327 (36.29 percent)
Main endorsements: Pepsi, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Reebok, Burger King, Oreo, Toys ‘R’ Us, Carnival Cruise Line, Vitaminwater
Main investments: Papa John’s, Auntie Anne’s, Five Guys, 24-Hour Fitness, Krispy Kreme, Lyft, Google, Ring, Vitaminwater, Campus, SPACs (Forest Road Acquisition Corp I and Corp II), car wash franchises, real estate
Kevin Durant
Overall earnings: $790 million
NBA earnings: $405,940,020 (51.38 percent)
Main endorsements: Nike, BBVA, American Family Insurance, Alaska Airlines, 2K Sports
Main investments: Thirty Five Ventures, Postmates, Coinbase, Robinhood, Acorns, Overtime, Andbox, Weedmaps, Rubrik, JetSmarter, Hugging Face, Whoop, CerraCap Ventures, Skydio, Yoshi
Kobe Bryant
Overall earnings: $755 million
NBA earnings: $328,237,108 (43.47 percent)
Main endorsements: Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola (Sprite), Hublot, Panini, Turkish Airlines
Main investments: BodyArmor sports drink, Bryant Stibel venture capital firm, Granity Studios, Kobe Inc., The Players’ Tribune, the Art of Sport
Stephen Curry
Overall earnings: $660 million
NBA earnings: $357,844,681 (54.21 percent)
Main endorsements: Under Armour, Chase, Infiniti Motor Company, Rakuten, Palm, FTX Trading Limited, Brita, Unilever/Degree
Main investments: Oxigen, TSM, Unanimous Media( ‘Underrated’ for Apple TV+ and ‘Jumpshot’), Gentleman’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, tech startups through his investment company SC30 (SnapTravel, Literati, Squire, and Tonal)
Russell Westbrook
Overall earnings: $520 million
NBA earnings: $343,672,250 (66.09 percent)
Main endorsements: Jordan Brand, True Religion Apparel, Samsung Electronics, Six Star Pro Nutrition, PepsiCo
Main investments: Magic Spoon, Pizzana, Poppi, Triller, Hyperice, Honor the Gift, Flow, Tulco, Tiger Global, Genies, Heal, Luvo, Health House, Mason, Varo Bank, five Southern California auto dealerships, real estate
James Harden
Overall earnings: $480 million
NBA earnings: $340,720,428 (70.98 percent)
Main endorsements: Adidas, Therabody, Pura, BodyArmor, Vanguart, Gopuff, Panini, Saks Fifth Avenue
Main investments: Minority ownership stake in Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash soccer clubs, BodyArmor, Art of Sport, Stance socks, The Beard Club, Mitchell & Ness
Chris Paul
Overall earnings: $460 million
NBA earnings: $390,177,385 (84.82 percent)
Main endorsements: Jordan Brand, The Walt Disney Company, Spalding, State Farm, Beyond Meat, GoPuff, Tissot, Panini
Main investments: Hyperice, Chirpify, RSPCT Basketball, Wicked Kitchen, Meati Foods, Beyond Meat
Dwyane Wade
Overall earnings: $420 million
NBA earnings: $199,499,205 (47.49 percent)
Main endorsements: Gatorade, Li-Ning, Panini, New Era, Hublot, Budweiser, Stance socks, The Tie Bar, Sandals Resorts
Main investments: Utah Jazz and WNBA’s Chicago Sky, 59th & Prairie Entertainment, Li-Ning, Proudly, Forty-Three, Mission Products Holdings, Wade Cellars, NFTs with Budweiser Zero, executive producer on several projects including ‘Shot in the Dark’ and ‘D. Wade: Life Unexpected’
Kevin Garnett
Overall earnings: $415 million
NBA earnings: 343,862,398 (82.85 percent)
Main endorsements: Anta, Gatorade, American Express, Zico, real estate
Main investments: Real estate, Content Cartel Production Studios, Gaming Society and other startups and business ventures through his investment firm Big Ticket Sports
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