How Much Do NBA Players Make?
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How much do NBA players make? It’s a question that’s often asked, and for good reason. NBA players are some of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and their salaries continue to rise as the league grows in popularity.
So, how much do NBA players make? Here’s a look at the average salary of an NBA player by season, according to data from Spotrac.
NBA Players Salaries
Salaries in the NBA have skyrocketed over the past few years due to increases in revenue. The average player salary is now over $6 million per year, and the highest-paid players are making over $30 million per year. With such high salaries, it’s no wonder that NBA players are some of the richest athletes in the world.
Average NBA player salary
The average NBA player salary is $7.7 million per year, which is the highest of any professional sport in the world. The highest-paid NBA player is LeBron James, who makes $38.4 million per year. The lowest-paid NBA player is earnings less than $30,000 per year.
NBA player salary by team
The average NBA salary is about $4.9 million, but some NBA players make much more than that. The highest-paid player in the NBA is LeBron James, who makes about $35.6 million a year. Other high-paid NBA players include Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook.
NBA player salary by position
In the NBA, player salaries vary greatly by position. For example, the average salary for a point guard is $2.6 million, while the average salary for a center is $5.1 million. Here is a breakdown of NBA player salaries by position:
* Point guard: $2.6 million
* Shooting guard: $3.2 million
* Small forward: $3.7 million
* Power forward: $4.4 million
* Center: $5.1 million
NBA Players Endorsements
In addition to their multi-million dollar salaries, NBA players also receive a lot of money from endorsements. Endorsement deals are often performance-based, so players who excel on the court can earn even more money from brands that want to be associated with them. LeBron James, for example, is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world thanks in part to his many endorsement deals.
NBA players with the most endorsements
While the average NBA player earns around $7.7 million dollars per year, the top players in the league can make upwards of $30 million dollars per year when endorsements are factored in. The following list includes the NBA players who have the most endorsement deals, as well as some of the brands they are associated with.
1. LeBron James – Nike, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre, KIA Motors
2. Kevin Durant – Nike, Degree Men, Foot Locker, Sprite
3. Stephen Curry – Under Armour, Chase Bank, EA Sports
4. Derrick Rose – Adidas, Endura Rehabilitation Centers
5. Kyrie Irving – Nike, PepsiCo, Skullcandy headphones
6. Blake Griffin – Jordan Brand (Nike), KIA Motors, Subway restaurants
7. Dwyane Wade – Li-Ning (sneakers), Stance (socks), Gatorade
…
NBA players with the biggest endorsement deals
The NBA is a global entity, with players coming from all over the world to compete at the highest level. With that global appeal comes big money, and some NBA players are able to cash in with massive endorsement deals. Below are five of the biggest endorsement deals currently in place for NBA players.
1. LeBron James – $87 million
2. Kevin Durant – $36 million
3. Stephen Curry – $35 million
4. Damian Lillard – $21 million
5. Russell Westbrook – $17 million
How NBA Players Spend Their Money
NBA players with the most expensive cars
The NBA is a league full of multimillionaires. Many of them have expensive taste, and that includes their taste in cars. Some players have been known to spend upwards of $1 million on a single car. Here are some of the most expensive cars owned by NBA players.
Dwyane Wade: Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 – $1.3 million
LeBron James: Maybach 57S – $1.2 million
Kobe Bryant: Porsche 911 Turbo S – $320,000
Stephen Curry: Range Rover Autobiography – $200,000
Damian Lillard: Jaguar F-Type – $100,000
NBA players with the most expensive homes
While the average NBA player doesn’t make as much as some of the other professional athletes on this list, they still manage to bring in a pretty penny. In fact, the average NBA player salary is a whopping $7.7 million dollars per year! So, it’s no surprise that a number of NBA players have homes that cost well into the millions. Let’s take a look at some of the most expensive homes owned by NBA players.
1. LeBron James – $23 million
2. Kobe Bryant – $18 million
3. Amar’e Stoudemire – $16 million
4. Carmelo Anthony – $14 million
5. Dwyane Wade – $11.2 million
NBA Players Investments
Most NBA players make the majority of their money from their salaries, but some also make significant amounts of money from endorsements and investments. For example, LeBron James has made nearly $1 billion from endorsements, and many other players have made millions from investments. Some players are also able to save money by living at home with their parents or by living frugally.
NBA players with the most successful investments
In recent years, we’ve seen a number of NBA players make some very shrewd investments. While some have gone the traditional route, investing in things like real estate or stocks and bonds, others have taken a more unconventional approach, investing in technology startups or even taking minority ownership stakes in NBA teams.
Below are some of the NBA players who have had the most successful investments:
1. Kevin Durant: Durant has invested in a number of tech startups, including Acorns, the app that “micro-invests” your spare change. He’s also an investor in Postmates, the popular food delivery service.
2. LeBron James: In addition to his minority ownership stake in Liverpool FC, James has also invested in companies like Beats by Dre and Blaze Pizza. He’s also an investor in convertible bonds, which are a type of debt that can be converted into equity.
3. Carmelo Anthony: Anthony is an investor in a number of tech startups, including Square and Robinhood. He’s also an early investor in the plant-based meat company Beyond Meat.
4. Andre Iguodala: Iguodala is an investor in a number of tech startups, including Snapchat and Eaze (a cannabis delivery service). He’s also an early investor in Coinbase, the popular cryptocurrency exchange.
NBA players with the most interesting investments
Since their careers don’t last forever, interesting investments can set NBA players up for life after basketball. Here are some of the most interesting investments made by NBA players.
1. Shaquille O’Neal – Krispy Kreme
In addition to being one of the most dominant players in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal is also a successful entrepreneur. He has endorsement deals with major companies like Audi and Reebok, and he even has his own line of shoes with the latter. But perhaps his most successful investment is Krispy Kreme. He first invested in the company in 2009 and eventually became a part-owner. His involvement helped Krispy Kreme’s expansion into new markets and resurgence in popularity.
2. Grant Hill – Atlanta Hawks
Grant Hill is one of the few NBA players who have managed to have a successful post-playing career in broadcasting. He currently works as an analyst for Turner Sports, but his biggest post-playing career move was becoming a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks in 2015. He was part of a group that bought the team for $850 million, and it was reported that his stake in the team was around $10 million. Given that the value of NBA teams has only gone up since then, Hill’s investment has likely done quite well for him.
3. Kobe Bryant – BodyArmor
Kobe Bryant is one of the most successful athletes-turned-entrepreneurs, and his investment in BodyArmor is a big reason why. BodyArmor is a sports drink that competes with the likes of Gatorade and Powerade, and it has been growing rapidly in recent years. Bryant invested in the company back in 2014 when it was valued at around $250 million. Just four years later, it was sold to Coca-Cola for $4 billion, meaning Bryant made quite a return on his investment.
4. Magic Johnson – EquiTrust Life Insurance Company
When he’s not running the Los Angeles Lakers as president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson is running a multi-billion dollar private equity firm called Aspire Group Holding Company LLC., which owns stakes in various businesses ranging from movie theaters to restaurants. But one of Johnson’s more notable investments is EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which he acquired a majority stake in back in 2012 for $265 million. The company has since been renamed Aurora National Life Assurance Company and is now worth over $3 billion, making it one of Johnson’s more successful investments.