Who are the top-paid NBA players in the 2021-2022 season? The answer just might shock you.
Despite the belief that LeBron James would have been the top-paid player in the NBA — and certainly, he works hard enough — the reality is, it’s Steph Curry who holds the title. While his salary doesn’t take into account his other investments — including sponsorships and endorsements — it’s still impressive nonetheless.
ESPN dropped the full list of the NBA players with the most impressive salaries late last month, and no less of an authority than NBCSports pointed out that the top-paid players had already locked in their contracts for years to come.
“Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been the NBA’s highest-paid player for the past four seasons,” the outlet reports. “And he won’t be relinquishing that title in 2021-22. The three-time NBA champion will make a league-high $45,780,966 in base salary this season (via Spotrac). The contract that’s kept him as the NBA’s highest earner is a five-year, $201.16 million designated veteran player extension he signed in July of 2017. Curry is in the final year of that “supermax” deal, but he’s already locked down his next contract of four years and $215.35 million. With that deal, he’s currently projected to become the NBA’s first $50-million-per-year player in 2023-24 and will be making just shy of $60 million in the final year of it at age 37. Curry will also clear $400 million in career earnings by the time it’s up.”
Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest-paid NBA players of the 2021-2022 season.
Stephen Curry
2021-2022 Salary: $45,780,966
Years ago, Steph Curry walked away from a multi-million dollar deal offered by Reebok, and as AfroTech told you, it’s safe to say it worked out well for him. With a more than $45 million salary for the 2021-2022 season, Curry is the top-played NBA player in the league this year.
James Harden
2021-2022 Salary: $44,310,840
Known as much for his beard as for his skills on the court, James Harden’s $44 million-plus salary is just a small part of the larger picture of investments that he’s made through the years.
John Wall
2021-2022 Salary: $44,310,840
All the talk about a “buyout” hasn’t stopped John Wall from bringing home more than $44 million in salary for the 2021-2022 season.
Russell Westbrook
2021-2022 Salary: $44,211,146
The NBA superstar has been diversifying his investments as of late, getting involved in some big-league financing deals with such companies as Varo and Hennessy.
Kevin Durant
2021-2022 Salary: $42,018,900
He dominates the boardroom and the court, which is why Kevin Durant has a net worth of more than $75 million. On the court this year, though, he brought home more than $40 million — which is nothing compared to the upcoming merger worth more than $1.5 billion.
LeBron James
2021-2022 Salary: $41,180,544
He’s one of the few basketball players who is well on his way to a billion-dollar net worth, but LeBron James didn’t do too shabby this year with a $41 million salary on the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
2021-2022 Salary: $39,344,970
He’s an NBA champion and a two-time MVP, but as AfroTech pointed out, Giannis Antetokounmpo is also a businessman through and through. His career on and off the court brought him more than $39 million in salary.
Damian Lillard
2021-2022 Salary: $39,344,900
The Portland Trail Blazers point guard has some of the best stats in the league — and one of the highest paychecks, too.
Paul George
2021-2022 Salary: $39,344,900
The LA Clippers forward is one of the best players in the league, which is why he’s been rewarded with a salary totaling more than $39 million.
Klay Thompson
2021-2022 Salary: $37,980,720
The Golden State Warriors shooting guard may have been out due to an injury, but he still managed to bring home more than $37 million in a salary. He’s expected to be cleared to return sometime later this month.
