The evolution of the NBA from its inception during the 1950s to today is something we have followed closely in almost every way possible. One of the most interesting ways the game has drastically changed is the amount of money players made 70 years ago compared to how much they make now. Even with adjustments for inflation, the difference is staggering.
As we go through every decade in NBA history below, we will take a look at the largest contracts handed out to players during those 10-year spans. We will also look at what these contracts would be worth in today’s era. Get ready to have your minds blown as we take a look at the largest contracts in the NBA for every decade.
1950s – Bob Cousy – $25,000
For the 1950s, former Boston Celtics point guard Bob Cousy earned the NBA’s largest contract earning $25,000 every season from 1956 through 1959. Cousy became the first player in NBA history to sign a deal worth over $25,000 which exceeded the record set by George Mikan with his contract worth $20,000 per season in 1952-53.
Cousy’s groundbreaking contract was not the only mark he left on the game business-wise. In 1954, Cousy organized the first NBA Player’s Association which provided players with health benefits, a pension plan, and an average salary that exceeded the previous average of $8,000.
In 2023-24, Cousy’s $25,000 salary would be worth $294,323.79 which is a drastic underpay for a player such as Cousy who is a six-time champion, MVP, and a 13-time All-Star.
1960s – Wilt Chamberlain – $250,000
The largest contract handed out during the 1960s was to superstar Wilt Chamberlain in 1968-69 worth $250,00 from the Los Angeles Lakers. Chamberlain’s deal was the first in history to exceed $200,000, blowing the previous record held by Knicks big man Bill Bradley at $125,000 out of the water.
Chamberlain was awarded the deal with the Lakers following nine seasons with the Warriors and Sixers from 1960 through 1968. Years earlier, Chamberlain had become the first player in NBA history to ink a $100,000 deal only to be surpassed by Bill Russell who requested one worth $100,001.
During his final NBA years with the Lakers, Chamberlain would earn a total of $1.5 million which was unheard of for this particular time. If adjusted for inflation, Chamberlain’s $250,000 deal signed with the Lakers would be worth $2.15 million in 2024 making him the 395th-highest-paid player this season.
1970s – David Thompson – $800,000
In 1978-79, Denver Nuggets shooting guard David Thompson made NBA history by signing an $800,000 deal. Thompson was the first player to earn over $700,000 via an NBA contract surpassing the previous record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his $650,000 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Thompson’s deal would be worth $3.5 million in 2024.
Thompson signed the deal after his third straight All-Star season in 1977-78. In the first four seasons of his career leading up to the deal, Thompson was a four-time All-Star averaging 25.8 points per game on 51.4% shooting from the floor.
Over the next five seasons, Thompson would very publicly battle issues with substance abuse that resulted in multiple suspensions and a shortened career. Thompson played just those five seasons before being forced out of the league at just 29 years old.
1980s – Patrick Ewing – $3,750,000
New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing was always very calculated and meticulous with his money during his career. In 1988-89, he inked a deal worth $3.75 million, making it the largest deal handed out during the 1980s. The truth is, Ewing was the NBA’s highest-paid center for most of his career until the mid-90s when players like David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal surpassed him.
Ewing’s massive deal made him the first player in NBA history with a deal exceeding $2.5 million, exceeding the contract Magic Johnson had with the Lakers from 1985-1987. In 2023-24, Ewing’s $3.75 million deal would be worth $9.5 million in 2024, making him the 166th highest-paid player today, tied with Royce O’Neale.
1990s – Michael Jordan – $33,140,000
Michael Jordan was a groundbreaking athlete in more ways than one during the peak of his career in the 1990s. Not only was Jordan a six-time NBA champion, six-time Finals MVP, and five-time MVP, but he also set the standard for modern-day shoe deals and basketball contracts.
The first evidence we have of the impact of his basketball contracts was the $33.14 million deal he signed for the 1997-98 season. At the time, the deal was the first for any NBA player worth over $20 million for a single season and the largest one-year deal in NBA history as well. While this may not seem like a big deal with the amount of money being thrown around these days, this was the deal that set the tone for the future.
Considering the legacy as the GOAT that Jordan left behind, the fact that he would be the highest-paid player in the NBA today makes perfect sense.
2000s – Kevin Garnett – $28,000,000
Kevin Garnett is often referred to as one of the most underappreciated power forwards in NBA history. When it came to his NBA contracts however, it was clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves valued him greatly, making him the highest-paid power forward in the NBA for most of his early career.
Before the 2002-03 NBA season, Garnett signed the largest deal of the decade that earned him $28,000,000 during his 2003-04 MVP season. Garnett did well financially during his 21-year career. The $343.8 million he made in his career makes him one of the highest-earning power forwards in the history of the NBA. His deal for $28 million in 2004 would be worth $46.9 million in 2024 as the sixth-highest-paid player during the 2023-24 season.
2010s – Stephen Curry – $37,457,154
Stephen Curry has been nothing but a revolutionary trendsetter in his basketball career both on the court and in terms of player contracts. Curry has changed the game with his play based on his incredible three-point shooting, ushering in an entirely new era of basketball that we see so prevalent today.
In 2018-19, Curry became the first player in NBA history to play a season under the terms of a deal with more than $35 million. He would later also become the first player in NBA history to earn over $40 million in a season in 2019-20 and over $50 million this season in 2023-24. To date, Curry has earned $305.9 million in salaries, making him one of the highest-paid point guards and overall players ever.
Of course, with his career not nearly over, this amount will only increase as time goes on before he ultimately calls it quits sometime around 2030.
2020s – Jaylen Brown – $65,604,000
As it stands right now, Jaylen Brown has the largest deal in NBA history that will be worth $65.6 million in the 2028-29 season. While this is a milestone that should be celebrated, Brown’s name atop the list for the largest contract in NBA history is likely to change by the time the 2028-29 season rolls around with superior players likely demanding supermax deals of their own shortly.
Brown inked his historic supermax deal this past summer with the Boston Celtics worth $304 million over five seasons. It exceeds the previous largest contract signed by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic worth $276 million over five years in 2022.
Credit for an idea: NBA Debates
