Damian Lillard recently agreed to a 2-year extension with the Portland Trail Blazers that will see him earn $122 million, an unbelievably large contract. Dame has been one of the most loyal superstars in the league in recent years, and his loyalty has been rewarded by the Trail Blazers in the form of some massive contracts throughout his career.
Contracts have gotten massive in the current era of the NBA, with a lot of players getting paid more money than the best players in the past have made. LeBron James, who has been around for both eras in a way, has also made a heft sum throughout his career. But despite Bron being much more impactful to winning than Lillard, by the time Lillard reaches the age of 36, he will have made significantly more than him.
Until this age, LeBron has made just over $385 million in contracts he has signed with various teams. However, Lillard, by the time he is 36, will have earned nearly $450 million. Even Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are set to make more money than James in the coming seasons.
Considering that LeBron has 4 titles, 4 Finals MVPs, and 4 MVPs more than Lillard, never mind the 12 more All-Star appearances, this is crazy to consider. However, James has moved around quite a bit to be on contending teams, whereas Lillard has consistently been the highest-paid player on the Blazers.
With the salary cap set to increase soon, these contracts are only going to get bigger. . Players coming into the league now will make more than the ones before did, no matter who was better. This is a jarring reality that shows exactly why old heads even now seem to get upset with the stars of today.
