National Basketball Association highest-paid players 2024/25

LeBron James was the top-earning player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 2024/25 season, with a salary of 48.7 million U.S. dollars and 80 million U.S. dollars in endorsements. The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry was the second highest-paid NBA player, with a salary of 51.9 million U.S. dollars and 50 million U.S. dollars in off-court income.

NBA revenue streams

Players in the NBA have two main sources of revenue: salaries from the team, and endorsements from companies and brands. NBA players not only have deals with sports brands such as Nike and Adidas, but also with consumer products such as Coca-Cola, Panini, Kia Motors, and Red Bull, to name a few. Shoe deals are particularly profitable for NBA players. Michael Jordan, for example, still profits from endorsements, as his signature Air Jordan shoes have a large share of the basketball shoe market.

King James reigns supreme

Thanks to his wide range of endorsements, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James total earnings amounted to 128.7 million U.S. dollars during the 2023/24 season. Although Stephen Curry had the most on-court earnings that year, the Warriors point guard still has some way to go to match James as the NBA player with the highest cumulative career earnings. As a four-time MVP winner and the NBA's all-time highest scorer, James' earnings have certainly been backed up by his on-court performances.