Coronavirus hits the hoard of most competitions. The NBA is no stranger to this situationAlthough the best basketball league continues to capitalize on the financial muscle by paying its stars much better than other American sports.
According to a study in the journal “Forbes”, NBA paid an average of $ 9.5 million annually in salaries of players in its 30 franchises last season, marked by the coronavirus and the “bubble” in Florida, where they had to limit themselves to finish the “playoff” that decided the title obtained by the Los Angeles Lakers.
At least 34 NBA players will win $ 25 million this season.
The figures the NBA is manipulating have no comparison with other American sports, such as baseball, where its players earn half of basketball or American football, with a salary three times lower, according to Forbes.
According to a study by this prestigious publication, the financial muscle of the NBA is indisputable despite the reductions and conditions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic. The differences with other team sports are more obvious among the top winners.
At least 34 NBA players will win $ 25 million this season. In the case of MLB, the number of players who exceed these figures is only seven, while in the NFL it increases to twelve.
LeBron James, the highest paid
Absence of the public on the field and decreased sponsorships They also affected professional basketball, although forecasts for this season show figures such as the $ 558 million that will include the top ten highest paid players in the NBA, in salaries (56%) and sponsorships (44%).
In this The highest paid “top ten” is LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star is leading this season for the seventh straight season and, according to Forbes, will earn $ 96 million this year, although in LeBron’s case his sponsorship revenue ($ 64 million) is higher than his salary ( 32) from which you get the angelina franchise.
LeBron’s salary makes him the highest paid athlete in American team sports of all time, and $ 64 million he receives in notices, the largest amount for an NBA player.
LeBron’s impact is reflected in the many brands he has signed with. The Lakers striker has been linked with Nike since 2003, a company that represents half of its sponsorship revenue and companies such as AT&T, Beats, Walmart, Rimowa, General Motors, Blaze Pizza and is in negotiations with PepsiCo after retiring from Coca Cola.
After LeBron, the highest paid in the NBA is the Golden State striker Warriors, Stephen Curry, with an income of 74 million dollars, of which 40 in sponsorships. Curry has signed an agreement with the sportswear and accessories brand Under Armor for which he charges 20 million dollars a year.
Kevin Durant, downtown Brooklyn Nets, $ 65 million; Russel Westbrook, Washington Wizzard, (58 years old) and James Harden (Brooklyn) complete the top five of the highest paid places, all exceeding $ 50 million.
It appears on a lower step Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks, $ 49 million), Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors, 43.3), Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn, 43), Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns, 40) y Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers, 39), who complete the “top ten” of the highest paid NBA players.
According to Forbes, a large part of these stars will certainly be among the top twenty in the league of the highest paid athletes in the world that the above-mentioned publication produces every June.
Here is the list of the 10 highest paid
| PLAYER | TEAM | SALARY | PATRONAGE | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | Lakers | 32,000,000 | 64,000,000 | 96,000,000 |
| Stephen Curry | warrior | 34,000,000 | 40,000,000 | 74,000,000 |
| Kevin Durant | nets | 31,000,000 | 34,000,000 | 65,000,000 |
| Russell Westbrook | witch | 35,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 58,000,000 |
| James Harden | nets | 33,000,000 | 17,000,000 | 50,000,000 |
| G. Antetokounmpo | good | 22,000,000 | 27,000,000 | 49,000,000 |
| Klay Thompson | warrior | 28,500,000 | 15,000,000 | 43,500,000 |
| Kyrie Irving | nets | 26,000,000 | 17,000,000 | 43,000,000 |
| Chris Paul | Sun. | 33,000,000 | 7,000,000 | 40,000,000 |
| Damian Lillard | Trail Blazers | 25,000,000 | 14,000,000 | 39,000,000 |