Among NBA players, LeBron James once again leads the league in terms of total income including competition salary and advertising money.
James’ salary when playing for the Los Angeles Lakers last year was 31.4 million US dollars.
Adding $64 million in income from endorsement contracts, LeBron James earned a total of $95.4 million . This number is equivalent to… nearly 2,200 billion VND.
According to Forbes’ list, Stephen Curry ranks second in the entire NBA in terms of income with $74.4 million. Ranked third is Kevin Durant, who despite sitting out the entire 2019-20 season still pocketed $65.2 million.
The remaining two names in the Top 5 are Russell Westbrook and James Harden with $58.1 million and $50 million respectively.
Forbes economist Kurt Badenhausen predicts that LeBron James will soon reach the $1 billion income milestone this year, making him one of five rare athletes in world sports history to achieve this achievement. .
The remaining four names are all “tycoons” in making money with sports, including golfer Tiger Woods, boxer Floyd Mayweather and two soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Like Woods, Ronaldo or Messi, LeBron James is still playing and has many opportunities to increase his income.
Badenhausen further notes that more than 70% of LeBron James’ total career income comes from advertising contracts.
His salary in the NBA only ranks 6th, behind many players like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook or James Harden. But James’s ability to make money off the field is huge.
Major brands that have been collaborating with the “king” include AT&T, Beats, Nike, Walmart, Rimowa, GMC and Blaze Pizza.
In the near future, James is expected to sign another huge advertising contract with Pepsi after parting ways with the Coca-Cola brand.
Top 10 NBA players with the highest income of the year according to Forbes magazine
1. LeBron James – $95.4 million
2. Stephen Curry – $74.4 million
3. Kevin Durant – $65.2 million
4. Russell Westbrook – $58.1 million
5. James Harden – $50 million
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo – $49 million
7. Klay Thompson – $43.3 million
8. Kyrie Irving – $43 million
9. Chris Paul – $40.1 million
10. Damian Lillard – $39 million
