LeBron James, or “King James” as he is known, has been in the news more than usual lately. Together with fellow greats Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and others, he played for Team USA in his fourth Olympic games, defeating France 96-87 to bring home the gold. With 14 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, LeBron was named MVP. Even without the Olympics, though, LeBron has plenty of “gold” to his name as the highest paid NBA player in history. Based on data from Forbes, let’s see how his salary compares to other highly paid athletes . . . and to yours!
24/7 Wall St. Insights
- LeBron James is the highest-paid player in NBA history, but not the highest-paid athlete in the world.
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10. Lamar Jackson ($100.5 million)
Quarterback Lamar Jackson got a $72.5 million bonus when he signed with the Baltimore Ravens. That turned out to be a good deal for both sides; he went on to win NFL MVP for the second time after leading the Ravens to a 13-4 record and an AFC Central division title. Jackson is involved in numerous profitable business ventures, including sponsorships with Oakley and StatusPro as well as his own restaurant, production company, and clothing line.
9. Stephen Curry ($102 million)
NBA pro basketball star Steph Curry was one of the stars of Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. When he’s not winning Olympic gold, he plays point guard for the Golden State Warriors. He is closely associated with Under Armour, whose Curry shoe line significantly increased the brand’s stock prices.
8. Karim Benzema ($106 million)
French footballer Karim Benzema was a free agent with Real Madrid before joining the Saudi team Al Ittihad. He’s regarded as one of the all-time best strikers in the sport and has won over 500 career goals. His off-field business interests include deals with Electronic Arts (for the FIFA games series), Hyundai, Adidas, and others.
7. Neymar ($108 million)
Brazilian soccer player Neymar signed on with the Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal with numerous deal sweeteners: a private jet, luxury cars, and a mansion with a full complement of staff. Off the field, he has partnerships with Puma, Skims, and others and is developing a line of cocktails and mocktails.
6. Kylian Mbappé ($110 million)
French soccer star Kylian Mbappé now plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid. Off the field, he formed his own production company and has deals with big names like Nike, Hublot and Oakley.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($111 million)
Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks. His $111 million income includes not only his pro basketball earnings, but from his production company and deals with Nike and Pepsi.
4. LeBron James ($128.2 million)
Lebron James plays for the L.A. Lakers and will have the unique experience of having his son Bronny as a teammate. The highest-paid NBA player in history, in the 2022-23 season LeBron made $44,474,988. That’s $542,377 per game, $135,594 a quarter, $11,299 a minute, or $188 per second. Which makes us ask, “Hey LeBron, can you spare a minute?”
3. Lionel Messi ($135 million)
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi is a household name in much of the world. By joining Inter Miami, he supercharged the club’s sponsorships to $1.03 billion and is projected to nearly double their revenues. His own sponsors include major corporations like Apple, Adidas, and Lowe’s.
2. Jon Rahm ($218 million)
Golfer Jon Rahm of Spain earns about $218 million as a result of joining Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Chosen to captain LIV’s 13th team, he will get a lucrative 25% stake in league franchises.
1. Christiano Ronald0 ($260 million)
The world’s premier soccer player, Portuguese legend Ronaldo makes a salary of $200 million a year from Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League cub and gets another $60 million a year from off-field endorsements and business ventures.
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