Richest NBA Players Ever

Dwayne Wade

This man is a machine. Dwayne Wayde played with the Miami Heat and he left a huge mark on the NBA. As a ranking 3-time NBA Champ, Wade hung up his boots in 2019, but not before he chalked up an impressive array of All-Star honors along the way. So, what’s he worth? Let’s just say he’s clocking in at a cool $170M.

While playing for the NBA he earned a whopping $198M. But his endorsements netted him plenty of extra cheese along the way. He started with Converse at $400K per year for 6 years. Then he switched to NIKE for $5M per year, rising to $10M after bonuses. Then he switched to Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning for $60M. He sure knows how to make sheets!

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq played pro basketball for 19 seasons. He is without doubt one of the most recognizable names on the planet and for good reason. He retired in 2011, but not before cementing his place in history as a giant among men – in more ways than one. He is worth $400M – give or take. And he’s had his own TV show to boot. With 15 NBA All-Star credits, 4 NBA Championships, and 3 Finals MVP awards, who better than Shaq to clinch a spot on this richest NBA players of all time lists at 888sport NJ? Let's not race ahead of ourselves just yet - check out the richest F1 racers ever - right here at 888sport NJ!

James Harden

I love James Harden – guy’s a wizard with the B-Ball. The bearded warrior has mad skills and he’s got that ‘put up or shut up’ attitude that deserves respect. He’s graceful, smooth, accurate, and on point every time. As a Houston Rockets player, James Harden delivers on expectations time and again. Born and bred in LA, Harden is worth a cool $165M, and he commands a salary of $40M per year.

Recruited back in the day by Arizona State, he quickly rose to superstardom. Standing 6’5’’ tall, Harden is on the medium-height side, but definitively a giant on the court. He inked a $200M deal with ADIDAS. Back in 2017 he closed on a $228M re-signing deal with the Houston Rockets for another 4 years, at just over $57M per year. At the end of the day, his contract earnings will have amounted to $560M.

Gary Payton

LeBron James

Everyone wants to know what LeBron James is worth, so here goes! LeBron is worth an estimated $480M - $500M (His earnings exceed $600M). Now, when you’re earning around $100M per year playing basketball, you are peerless. He earns an estimated $40M per annum playing basketball, and the rest is massive endorsement deals. Consider that his earnings in 2016/2017 alone amounted to $86M, it’s easy to see why James is hot property.

But it wasn’t always plain sailing. During his first 10 years in the NBA he racked up $120M - $130M. But his endorsements were huge at $326M. NIKE pays him $20M annually, and that’s chump change compared to the lifetime deal worth some $1B he signed with NIKE.  His team is none other than the Cleveland Cavaliers (who aren't on the power rankings today). And he didn’t even need to finish college to be in the top 0.1% (minimum net worth of $43M) of wealthiest people in the world!

Kevin Durant

Standing 6’9’’ tall, Kevin Durant is a superstar of the NBA! An Oklahoma City Thunder player, he is worth a cool $170M. With an annual salary of $29M Durant is a true talent. He’s another player who signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, as a second round pick. His contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder was worth $86M back in 2010. When he left in 2016 he signed with GSW for $54.3M and then he re-signed again in 2018 for some $61.5M.

Magic Johnson

Let’s talk NBA riches like you’ve never seen before – Magic Johnson. Yep, the man, the myth, the legend – he’s worth $600M. Today, Johnson is in his 60s, living with HIV, and living large and in charge. He has 5 NBA Championships to his credit and 3 NBA Finals MVP awards too. 

He started with the LA Lakers, and played alongside the legendary Kareem Abdul Jabbar to win the NBA Championship. Overall, he completed 905 games and scored 17,707 points, and 10,141 assists. But most of his money comes from his business empire – The Magic Johnson Foundation. Over his career he has part-owned the LA Lakers, and Starbucks – not too shabby for a self-made titan!