NBA: These Are The Basketball Players With The Highest Earnings Of 2021

Basketball is one of the most popular and practiced sports around the world. The United States stands out for organizing the NBA, a league that has the most media players in the discipline and with a show that has stolen the eyes of millions of people since the start of the season. It is no secret to anyone that the basketball players with the highest earnings of 2021 are there.

As it usually does year after year, Forbes has been in charge of investigating and subsequently publishing the list of the ten highest-paid players of the year in the NBA, a task that has also been carried out in other disciplines such as soccer, tennis, and formula one. It should be noted that like other athletes, basketball players are not strangers to sponsorship income, which for the most part ends up being higher than the salary paid by the teams.

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As a curious fact, the combined earnings among these ten basketball players reach 714 million dollars, a figure 28% higher than last season and even with an increase of 132% compared to the previous decade. The list starts with figures like Jimmy Butler (with $ 47 million in total earnings), Paul George (47.8 million), Klay Thompson (54 million), Damian Lillard (56.3 million), and James Harden (62.3 million). Here we show you the top 5:

5. Russell Westbrook

The Los Angeles Lakers point guard has the distinction of being the only one of this top to generate more money on the court (44.2 million) than outside (30 million), totaling 74.2 million. Despite this detail, Westbrook has had a productive year when he's not playing, owning several auto dealerships in Southern California. And it is that in addition to that motoring passion, the 32-year-old basketball player added Hennessey, one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers of cognac, to his list of sponsors.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Being the only player under 30 on this list says a lot about the current Milwaukee Bucks figure. Among his titles, the two MVP awards of the 2019 and 2020 seasons stand out, as well as an NBA champion ring in this 2021. His talent led him to sign a five-year contract for 228 million dollars last December, not to mention that among its sponsorships are Nike, JBL, and TCL. The Greek ranks fourth with a total of $ 80.3 million (39.3 from salary and 41 off the court).

3. Kevin Durant

Injuries have sidelined Kevin's performances of late, but that hasn't been an excuse for calling him one of the best basketball players in the world. On the court, everyone knows what he can do, and for something, the Brooklyn Nets extended his contract for four more years for 198 million dollars. Now, outside of them, he is an entrepreneur who continues to stand out notably, investing in more than 80 companies with his firm Thirty-Five Ventures. Your profits? 40.9 salary plus 47 off the court for a total of $ 87.9 million.

2. Stephen Curry

There is no basketball player in the NBA better paid than the icon of the Golden State Warriors. They are 45.8 million that he receives when he is playing, while to that figure another 47 are added when he is not in action, adding a total of 92.8 million dollars. Curry's numbers have an explanation, and it is all due to the contract extension he signed for 215 million in August this year, not to mention the 20 million annually he receives from the Under Armor brand. Likewise, his investments include his foray into the world of cryptocurrencies, with FTX, and television, with his own production company Unanimous Media.

1. LeBron James

Who else could top the list of the highest-earning basketball players of 2021? It should be remembered that LeBron is not the highest paid in the NBA, but all that it means by itself keeps him as the king of this ranking for the eighth consecutive year. On the way to becoming the second professional in this discipline to be a billionaire, the resume of the Los Angeles Lakers figure does not need to be written. In fact, off the court, he continues to leave his mark and that has been seen with his sponsorship with Nike, his collaboration with the Fortnite video game, his investment with the company Tonal, and his first leading role in the cinema with Space Jam 2. In total, he accumulates 111.2 million dollars (41.2 of salary and 70 off the court)