Newsletter
Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Reading: The 5 Best Players From The 2003 NBA Draft Earned Over $1.2 Billion In Their Careers Combined
Fadeaway WorldFadeaway World
Search
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Follow US
Home > NBA News & Analysis > The 5 Best Players From The 2003 NBA Draft Earned Over $1.2 Billion In Their Careers Combined

The 5 Best Players From The 2003 NBA Draft Earned Over $1.2 Billion In Their Careers Combined

The 5 players that earned the most from the 2003 NBA Draft in terms of NBA salary including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and others made over $1.2 billion combined and counting.

Divij Kulkarni
Jun 27, 2023
5 Min Read
Share

Credit: Fadeaway World

The 2003 NBA Draft had one of the most talent-heavy groups of players to enter the league in the history of the draft. LeBron James was the No. 1 overall pick, but Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh were all in the same class as well. 

A lot of these players won championships and made their mark on the game. As such, all of them earned hefty contracts from the teams they were on. And the five highest earners from the 2003 NBA Draft earned a combined $1.2 billion and LeBron James could still add to that number. 

Here’s a look at the Top 5 earners from the 2003 NBA Draft:

1. LeBron James – $431 million (and counting)

2. Carmelo Anthony – $262 million

3. Chris Bosh – $239 million

4. Dwyane Wade – $196 million

5. David West – $91 million

Total – $1.219 billion

It’s no surprise that LeBron James leads this list, considering that his career has made him a GOAT candidate. To date, LeBron has earned $431 million in NBA salary alone and is set to make another $100 million at the very least. He has used his greatness to amass generational wealth too, becoming a billionaire before even retiring. 

Carmelo Anthony is next on this list, he had the longest career from the draft class after James. Melo never won a championship or the MVP award, but he has scored titles to his name and is on the list of the Top 10 NBA scorers of all time. He earned $262 million in his career, with the New York Knicks accounting for $125 million of that.

Chris Bosh teamed up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami where they won two championships. And he is the third-highest earner from that draft class. He made $239 million in NBA salary during his career, thanks to two contacts exceeding $100 million, one from the Toronto Raptors, and one from the Miami Heat. 

Dwyane Wade is easily the second most accomplished player in this class. He has a Finals MVP and three championships to his name. The Hall Of Famer struggled with injuries though, and famously took pay cuts to allow the Heat to acquire LeBron and Bosh. His career earnings round up to $196 million, just shy of the $200 million mark.

The 5th player on this list wasn’t a true superstar like the others, but David West played for 15 years, became an All-Star twice, and even won two championships. West made $91 million in his career thanks to big contracts from the New Orleans Hornets and the Indiana Pacers. 


LeBron James Has A Contract Extension Worth $97 Million Kicking In Next Season

LeBron James’ longevity can only be described as freaky, he averaged nearly 30 points per game in his 20th season in the league. And the salary isn’t drying up for LeBron anytime soon, he has a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers kicking in before the 2023-24 season that will see him make $97.1 million over the next two years. 

This will easily take the King to career earnings of over $500 million, although he does have a player option before next season that he could choose not to exercise. In any case, he will surely get a few more big contracts since he has shown no signs of slowing down. That incredible $1.2 billion number will only go up over the next few years.

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Dwyane WadeLeBron James
Share This Article
Facebook Email Copy Link Print
ByDivij Kulkarni
Follow:
Divij Kulkarni is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He has covered the NBA and the English Premier League, with 4 years of experience in creating sports content. Finding exciting and intriguing content about all things NBA is both his job and his passion. Divij loves the Dallas Mavericks and can be regularly observed getting emotional during games. Outside of basketball, he enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, consuming copious amounts of movies and TV, and spending time with his dog, Olivia. Expertise: NBA, Historical Sports ResearchFavorite Team: Dallas MavericksFeatured On HoopsHype, Sports Illustrated, Secret Base, MSNPrevious Work: Tribuna
Previous Article Joel Embiid Could Join The New York Knicks If The 76ers Have Another Disappointing Postseason
Next Article Scoot Henderson Would Like To Go On A Date With Zendaya, Victor Wembanyama Picks His Mom Over Dating Any Celebrity
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Newsletter
Facebook X-twitter Instagram

You Might Also Like

Lakers forward LeBron James looks on against the Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center
NBA News & Media

3x Lakers Champion Names 2 Reasons Why Wizards Michael Jordan Can’t Be Compared With 40-Year-Old LeBron James

October 7, 2025
Warriors guard Pat Spencer takes a three-point shot against the Mavericks during the fourth quarter at Chase Center
Golden State Warriors News & Analysis

Warriors Player Criticizes Lottery NBA Teams For Valuing Length And Athleticism Over IQ

October 7, 2025
Lakers forward LeBron James, wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat, smiles after watching his son, guard Bronny James, dunk a rebound against the Warriors in the third quarter at Chase Center
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

NBA Fans Lose It After LeBron James’ ‘Second Decision’ Turns Out To Be A Hennessy Ad: “Greatest Troll of All Time”

October 7, 2025
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown shoots a free throw during the second half against the Magic at TD Garden
Boston Celtics News & Analysis

Jaylen Brown Reveals John Calipari Hung Up The Phone After He Committed To Cal Tech

October 7, 2025

NBA - Fadeaway World

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Pages

  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA Media
  • Exclusive NBA Interviews
  • NBA 2K News & Updates

© 2025 Fadeaway World @ All Rights Reserved

  • About Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World Authors
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Contact Us
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?