Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, which means that athletes would be heavily compensated for their devotion and hard work. The process of becoming a successful basketball player cannot happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, skill, strong mental health, and sacrifice if you want to be part of the league’s elite. Seeing a game in person, such as the Sixers schedule, may encourage you to practice more and improve your skills.
Successful basketball players have multi-million dollar contracts which are mind-blowing when you think about how much they earn per day.
That’s why we decided to highlight some of the richest NBA players that are currently playing in the league. You may have heard these names if you are involved in sports online betting.
7. Blake Griffin
The current power forward of the Brooklyn Nets, Blake Griffin, takes seventh place in the list of richest NBA players based on salary and other promotions. In 2021, he’ll earn $35.5 million, and $29.5 million came through his salary from the Nets.
Blake Griffin is the five-time NBA All-Star has All-NBA Second Team nominations and he received the NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion title. He recently traded the Pistons for the Nets in one of the most noteworthy trades in recent times.
His net worth is estimated to be around $82 million.
6. Damian Lillard
Back in the 2016 offseason, Damian signed a five-year deal worth close that makes no difference to $140 million with the Blazers. His total income is around $40.2 million coming from sponsorships and salary.
For the 2021 season, he’ll receive a $26.2 million salary from the Blazers and his net worth is estimated to be around $50 million. Lillard is a 6 time NBA All-Star and won the rookie of the year in 2013.
5. Russell Westbrook
Russel Westbrook takes fifth place among the highest-paid NBA players with $47.5 million in earnings in 2021. He earned $28.5 million from his salary of Oklahoma City Thunder and he is currently playing the second season of his three-year contract with the Thunders worth $85.6 million.
Being the assistant leader of NBA 218, and having an NBA MVP and 2 NBA All-Star MVP’s the team decided to extend his contract for five more years, which will bring him around $205 million.
His current net worth is estimated to be around $160 million.
4. James Harden
One of the most iconic athletes in the NBA league is earning a lot of money per season. His current contract with the Huston Rockets will bring him $28.3 million in 2021, and his total earnings go up to $48.3 million.
He first signed the four-year contract with the Rockets back in 2016 for a massive $118 million, which was later revised to $169.3 million from the 2019 season onwards.
James Harden is the NBA scoring champion this year so far and has six NBA All-Stars behind his name and 3 All-NBA First Team nominations.
His net worth is estimated at around $72 million.
3. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the most successful players in the NBA league. His total earnings for this year are estimated at around $58 million and holds third place on our highest-paid athlete’s list. He signed a two-year deal with Golden State Warriors for a mind-blowing $51.3 million and his yearly salary is $25 million.
Kevin Durant is one of the leading point scorers in NBA history and has partnered with several mega-companies for sponsorships like Nike and Foot Locker.
His net worth is estimated to be around $150 million.
2. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is the highest-paid player in the 2021 NBA season when it comes to salary. No surprise since, according to TwinSpires Edge, the Golden State Warriors athlete ranks 2nd in the list of best point guards in NBA history – click here to check the full list.
This year alone, he’ll earn $34.7 million just from the Golden State Warriors and another $42 million coming from endorsement deals.
He has 2 NBA MVP, 5 NBA All-Stars, 2 SoCon Player of the year under his belt, which is why he signed an eye-watering $201.2 million deal with the Warriors for the next five years.
His net worth is estimated to be around $130 million.
1. LeBron James
There is no surprise that in the first place we have King James, with a whopping $85.3 million earned in 2021 alone. He is currently the richest player in the league earning $39.22 million only from Los Angeles Laker’s salary.
He has partnered with many big companies like Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and even starred in a movie called Space Jam 2 which increases his net worth to a massive $500 million.
Space Jam 2 is being produced by Warner Bros and is a sequel to the first film featuring Michael Jordan (1996). The movie is expected to premiere in July this year and it should leave LeBron not even richer, but also with a cult following that transcends the basketball game.
