NBA salaries — how the money works
The NBA operates a salary cap system that limits how much teams can pay players in aggregate, but individual maximum contracts have grown dramatically. In the 2025-26 season, the maximum salary for a player with 10+ years of experience is approximately $60 million per year — more than most nations' GDP per capita. Stephen Curry earns $59 million annually from Golden State Warriors alone.
Beyond salary, the real wealth multiplier for NBA stars is endorsement income. LeBron James earns more from Nike than from his Lakers contract — his lifetime Nike deal is estimated to be worth over $1 billion in total value. Michael Jordan's continuing Nike revenue (Air Jordan remains a multibillion-dollar annual business) means Jordan earns more from shoes today than any active player earns in salary.
NBA players as investors and entrepreneurs
Kevin Durant co-founded Boardroom, a sports media company, and has assembled a portfolio of over 30 startup investments. LeBron James co-owns a media company (SpringHill), holds a stake in Liverpool FC, and has investments across fast food, media production and sports franchises. Magic Johnson built a business empire worth over $1 billion after retiring in 1996.
This generation of NBA players is more financially literate and entrepreneurially active than any before it. The NBPA (players union) runs financial education programmes. Top players hire dedicated investment teams. The culture of "getting your business right" — modelled partly by LeBron and Jay-Z — has become a defining feature of the modern NBA star.