LeBron James is the NBA’s highest-earning player for the 2021-22 season, taking out the No.1 spot for a record eighth consecutive year.
James tops Forbes’ list of highest-paid NBA players, with the Los Angeles Lakers star set to earn $111.2 million, with $41.2 million coming from his NBA salary and $70 million from his various off-the-court ventures.
The 36-year-old makes $32 million of that from his lucrative deal with Nike, a ‘skin’ in the popular video game Fortnite and a recent investment with home fitness company Tonal.
James also starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy, which made $161 million at the box office, which was produced by his media and entertainment company ‘The SpringHill Company’. According to Forbes, James and his business partner Maverick Carter recently sold a minority stake in the company to a group of investors, including RedBird Capital Partners, Fenway Sports Group, Nike and Epic Games at a valuation of about $725 million.
His $111.2 million is a new NBA earnings record, breaking the previous record of $96.5 million set by James last season and he just the 10th athlete to top $100 million in a single year, joining Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Dak Prescott, Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Roger Federer and Conor McGregor.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is the second-highest-paid player on the NBA list at $92.8 million, while Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant comes in at third with $87.9 million.
Check out the full top 10 list here:
| RANK | PLAYER | TOTAL EARNINGS | SALARY | ENDORSEMENTS |
| 1. | LeBron James | $111.2m | $41.2m | $70m |
| 2. | Stephen Curry | $92.8m | $45.8m | $47m |
| 3. | Kevin Durant | $87.9m | $40.9m | $47m |
| 4. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | $80.3m | $39.3m | $41m |
| 5. | Russell Westbrook | $74.2m | $44.2m | $30m |
| 6. | James Harden | $62.3m | $44.3m | $18m |
| 7. | Damian Lillard | $56.3m | $39.3m | $17m |
| 8. | Klay Thompson | $54m | $38m | $16m |
| 9. | Paul George | $47.8m | $39.3m | $8.5m |
| 10. | Jimmy Butler | $47m | $36m | $11m |
