Sometimes I wonder if the guys that get into the NBA came out of the womb dribbling more than saliva? Maybe they were already practicing their dribbling skills on the basketball court.
That scenario could help explain how they get to the big leagues and snag the kind of salaries that we all want to make.
Well, I guess we can live vicariously through them for now until we make our own millions. Check out these 8 NBA players that are rich beyond even your wildest of dreams.
1. LeBron James – $65 Million In 2015
Including LeBron James as one of the richest NBA players was a no-brainer (which is good as my head still hurts from that hangover yesterday). At age 30, he makes a cool $65 mill this year alone, with $44 mill of that from endorsements. Booyah!
2. Kobe Bryant – $49.5 Million
Another huge earner for the 2015/2016 NBA player salaries is Kobe Bryant. The Lakers are paying him a massive salary of $23.5 million, and he picks up an additional $26 mill this year for endorsements. What is surprising ballbusting is that he took a pay cut on his Laker’s salary when he got a contract extension back in 2013. Yes, you read that right. A pay CUT. Seriously?!
3. Joe Johnson – $24.9 Million
This Johnson is doing a hell of a lot better than sprinter Ben Johnson fared in sports. He’s taking the payroll department at Brooklyn Nets for all they’ve got. The 2015/2016 season shows close to $25 million. Hey ladies, he’s single, so we’re wondering if you want to take him as your sugar daddy and give us a cut for setting you two up?
4. Carmelo Anthony – $30.5 Million
He’s a star in the eyes of the Knicks, that’s for sure. Welcome to the world of unbelievably wealthy, starring Carmelo Anthony. His salary is $22.5 million for this season, with an additional $8 mill in endorsements. That’s half a mill below what actress Jennifer Aniston takes home annually, but I’m pretty sure Anthony isn’t crying about it.
5. Kevin Durant – $54 Million
Thanks to a slam-dunk deal with Nike, Kevin Durant has shot up in the list of top NBA player salaries for the 2015/2016 season. He earns $54 million, which includes his 10-year deal with the sports powerhouse that is reportedly worth upwards of $300 million. Did you know he gets royalties on top too? Is that chump change? Nope.
6. Dwight Howard – $28.9 Million
Sadly we debated whether to add the “.4” to the title of #6. Then we realized (slaps forehead) that it works out to $400,000, which is more money than we make in a year. So, yes, the 4 stays. As for Dwight Howard, he’ll likely stay with the Houston Rockets as long as he can keep that salary. And who can blame him?
7. Chris Bosh – $23.8 Million
Say hello to the top NBA player for the Miami Heat. We’d like to tell you it’s heating up for 31-year-old Chris Bosh, but we’re too busy worrying about how we’re going to save money on heating when the colder months come our way. Yup, we’re on a budget and Bosh knows nothing about having to scrimp for money this year.
8. Derrick Rose – $38.9 Million
You’ll come out smelling like a rose in the area of cha-ching if you’re Derrick Rose. It’s not bull that this Chicago Bulls player will bring in a massive $18.9 million in salary this year, with additional bucks from endorsement deals with Powerade and other big spenders.
Now that’s what we call rich ballers. You’re sitting pretty cushy on stacks of bills if you’re Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, or any of the other 8 rich NBA players we list here. We’d gladly take just a chunk of those earnings (the bigger half, in case you wondered).
Or we could always try our hand at growing to be 6’11” and excelling on the court to earn a great NBA contract. How about whichever one comes first?
