Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant Join LeBron James in $1B Career Earnings Club
LeBron James is no longer the sole active NBA player with career earnings surpassing $1 billion. According to Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have also reached billionaire status through a combination of their on-court salaries and endorsement deals.
Top NBA Earners for 2025-26 Season
- James, Curry, and Durant are the only players earning at least $100 million this season from salaries and endorsements.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is close to joining the nine-figure earnings group with $99.1 million for the season.
Detailed Earnings Breakdown
LeBron James leads the NBA in total earnings this season with $132.6 million, combining his Los Angeles Lakers salary of $52.6 million and $80 million in endorsements. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each earn $80 million from endorsements in 2025-26.
On the court, James and Durant are the only players in NBA history to have earned over $500 million in career salary. Durant crossed that threshold this season, thanks to his $53.3 million salary from the Houston Rockets. Curry is third on the all-time list with $470.1 million earned playing for the Golden State Warriors and is projected to exceed $500 million in the 2026-27 season with a $62.6 million salary.
Curry's Salary Leadership
Kurt Badenhausen noted, "Curry has the highest salary in the NBA for the ninth consecutive season. He has maintained that status by staying with the Warriors and extending past supermax contracts signed in 2017 and 2021."
His loyalty to the Warriors has allowed him to secure and maintain some of the richest contracts in NBA history.
Author's summary: Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have joined LeBron James as the only active NBA players to earn over $1 billion in career earnings, highlighting their dominance in salary and endorsements.