James Earns $930 Million Annually, So What About Curry and Durant? No Comparison, No Embarrassment

Recently, Forbes released the Top 10 list of NBA players with the highest annual income in 2024. Among them, James once again ranked first, which is also his 11th consecutive year at the top. Curry and Durant followed closely behind, ranking second and third respectively. Let's take a look at the specific rankings.

James

As the face of the league in this era, James' ability to attract money does not need to be overstated. He has received numerous commercial endorsements and his jerseys, shoes, and other peripheral products are often sold out. In 2024, James' annual income reached $128.7 m i l l i o n, a p p r o x i m a t e l y R M B 939.4 m i l l i o n, b r e a k i n g h i s p r e v i o u s r e c o r d o f$ 128.7million,approximatelyRMB939.4million,breakinghispreviousrecordof124.5 million last year. Among this, James' salary income was $48.7 m i l l i o n, w h i l e c o m m e r c i a l e n d o r s e m e n t s a n d o t h e r i n c o m e a m o u n t e d t o$ 48.7million,whilecommercialendorsementsandotherincomeamountedto80 million.

Curry

Curry is the player with the highest salary this season, reaching $55.8 m i l l i o n . A d d i t i o n a l l y, h i s o f f - c o u r t i n c o m e a l s o r e a c h e d$ 55.8million.Additionally,hisoff−courtincomealsoreached50 million. Curry's annual income in 2024 was $105.8 million, approximately RMB 772.2 million, ranking second in the league after James.

Durant

Durant ranked behind James and Curry with an annual income of $99.9 m i l l i o n, a p p r o x i m a t e l y R M B 729.2 m i l l i o n . A m o n g t h i s, D u r a n t^{'} s s a l a r y w a s$ 99.9million,approximatelyRMB729.2million.Amongthis,Durant′ssalarywas49.9 million, while his off-court commercial income was the same as Curry's at $50 million.

Antetokounmpo

As the outstanding star of the middle generation, Antetokounmpo's commercial value soared after leading his team to win the championship and being awarded the MVP in recent years. In 2024, his annual income reached $93.8 m i l l i o n, a p p r o x i m a t e l y R M B 684.6 m i l l i o n . A m o n g t h i s, h i s s a l a r y i n c o m e w a s$ 93.8million,approximatelyRMB684.6million.Amongthis,hissalaryincomewas48.8 million, while his off-court income was $45 million.

Lillard

Despite Lillard not having won a championship yet, this did not prevent him from becoming the highest-paid active player. His annual salary this season was as high as $48.8 m i l l i o n, w i t h o f f - c o u r t i n c o m e o f$ 48.8million,withoff−courtincomeof16 million, for a total income of $64.8 million, approximately RMB 472.9 million.

The players ranked sixth to tenth were Embiid ( $64.1 m i l l i o n), B u t l e r ($ 64.1million),Butler(58.8 million), Booker ( $58.2 m i l l i o n), D o n c i c ($ 58.2million),Doncic(58 million), and Beal ($57.7 million).