NBA Rich List: Zanduku’s annual income exceeds 340 million, and James Lao made 1.7 billion in 23 years

Among the 20 highest-paid players in the 2025-26 season, LeBron James tops the list with a total income of US$132.6 million. James had previously been the richest man in the NBA for 11 consecutive seasons until he was surpassed by Stephen Curry (156 million) last year.

James' annual salary this season is 52.6 million, ranking 12th in the league. Curry has become the NBA's highest-paid player for the ninth consecutive year with an annual salary of $59.6 million. But off the court, James still has an income of up to 80 million. In fact, since his rookie season, James' off-court income has been higher than his salary. His sponsors include well-known brands such as Nike and Coca-Cola. In 2015, Nike signed a lifetime contract with James worth more than $1 billion. James' latest partners include Richard Mille, Barbie-maker Mattel, and Amazon.

Curry's off-court income is as high as 50 million, and his total income is 109.6 million. Durant will get 103.3 million, including 53.3 million in salary and 50 million off the court. Antetokounmpo received 991 million. Tatum 72.1 million, Edwards 65.6 million, Embiid 65.2 million, Butler 65.1 million, Jokic 64.2 million, Booker 63.1 million, Doncic 61 million, Alexander 58.3 million , Towns 58.1 million, Davis 57.6 million, Mitchell 56.9 million, George 56.7 million, Haliburton 56.6 million, Leonard 56.5 million, Cunningham 56.4 million, Harden 55.2 million.

The total income of 20 players exceeds 1.4 billion US dollars. Off-court income accounts for 29%, and James is the only player whose off-court income is higher than his annual salary. By the end of this season, James' total career income will exceed $1.7 billion (on and off the court).