It’s not a secret that NBA players rank among the highest-paid athletes in the world. They make way more money than their NFL colleagues and that most of the MLB superstars as well.
Then again, Lionel Messi’s huge deal with FC Barcelona would make even the highest-earner in the NBA look like just a regular guy.
Messi made so much money with the Blaugrana over the past couple of years that he even impressed Kevin Durant, one of the best-paid players in the NBA and a very successful businessman.
He called Messi’s deal ‘Insane’ when he found out that the Argentine superstar had just earned $674 million over the past 4 years with the Spanish club, by far the largest contract in professional sports history.
Insane https://t.co/B8LQpmZl5e
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 30, 2021
Messi made $168.5 million per year over the past four years. To put it in context, Stephen Curry – the best-paid player in the NBA in 2021 – made ‘just’ north of $43 million.
In fact, Messi made more money from that contract than both LeBron James and Tom Brady combined during their careers.
That’s why a lot of people often tear down athletes, claiming that they make way more money than they could spend and that we should value other professions (i.e. doctors or teachers) as much as we do with them.
Then again, if a team is willing to pay that much money to a given person it’s because he’s earned it. Clearly, they generate enough profit and revenue for it to be sustainable over time.
Maybe we should get our kids into soccer.
