In the modern NBA, we often see players ink massive multi-year contracts with their teams, especially if they are among the best of the best. There are times when even non-stars get massive deals due to their unique skillsets.
LeBron James is a player that recently inked a new two-year $97.1 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. That extension brought LeBron James’ career earnings to $532 million and made him the highest-earning player ever.
NBA page StatMuse recently posted the four players that had the most guaranteed career earnings, all of whom are still playing. The four players are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Damian Lillard, all of whom are basketball legends for this generation and top 75 players of all time.
Most guaranteed career earnings (millions):
$532 — LeBron James
$499 — Kevin Durant
$470 — Steph Curry
$450 — Damian Lillard
👑 pic.twitter.com/zOHQLi3Jus
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 17, 2022
All of these players have earned a lot of money by being among the top-tier superstars in the game of basketball. They have all driven winning and were extremely valuable players throughout their careers, and it’s clear that their franchises understood that. The four superstars listed all still have a good amount of time before they end up retiring as well, so there is a chance that they still add even more money to their guaranteed earnings.
The NBA will continue growing as a league, and there’s no doubt that players’ contracts will continue to rise in value going forward as the league grows not only in the United States but worldwide. It is fantastic to see modern players be able to get insane compensation for their talent, and we will likely see some more mind-boggling extensions in the future. For example, star Jayson Tatum could potentially sign a five-year, $298 million supermax contract extension in 2024 if he makes an All-NBA team next year. Hopefully, we see a lot of young players show out in the future so that they can acquire a life-changing, generational amount of money.
