The debate over who is the GOAT of the NBA, LeBron James or Michael Jordan, will never end. James is statistically superior, while Jordan has won more NBA championships.
However, there is one thing James has surpassed Jordan in: the amount of money he has earned throughout his NBA career. With a new contract worth $104 million/2 years just signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, James continues to solidify his position as the highest paid player in the NBA.
Join Sporting News to learn about Jordan and James’ earnings in the NBA.
These statistics only count the salaries both players receive in the NBA, not outside commercial income.
LeBron James’s Income
James is the highest-paid NBA player of all time. According to Spotrac.com , he has earned $479,466,457 over his career .
James recently signed a new two-year contract with the Lakers. This contract will help him earn at least $49,987,718 million per year. If you include the two years of the new contract, James will pocket a total of $583,440,910 in NBA salary.
In 21 seasons, James won four NBA championships, four MVP awards and was named to 20 consecutive All-Star games.
Michael Jordan’s income
Jordan’s income is nothing compared to James’, because of the difference between the two eras.
According to Spotrac.com , Jordan earned $93,877,500 during his NBA career. In 14 of his 16 seasons, Jordan only pocketed about $4 million. The exception was 1995/96 and 1996/97, when the Chicago Bulls legend earned $30,140,000 and $33,140,000, respectively, before announcing his retirement to try his hand at baseball.
Jordan was a 14-time All-Star, 6-time NBA champion, and 5-time MVP. What’s more, he reached the finals all 6 times – an unprecedented record.
If Jordan played in the modern NBA—especially after the league signed a television deal in 2016 that skyrocketed his salary—he could rival LeBron’s career earnings. But that’s not something Jordan would have to worry about, as endorsement deals with Nike under the Jordan brand have helped make him one of the richest players in the world.
Michael Jordan Net Worth
According to Forbes , Jordan has a net worth of $3.2 billion . Most of Jordan’s income comes from commercial contracts with Nike, Hanes and Gatorade. In the past, Jordan spent about $2.4 billion to buy a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. But after a few years, the basketball legend sold the team and earned about $3 billion.
Jordan is ranked as the 1,017th richest person in the world as of July 3. Although he didn’t earn much during his NBA career, Jordan’s post-retirement earnings are still growing rapidly.
LeBron James Net Worth
James made more money than Jordan during his NBA playing days, but the Lakers star still trails his senior in terms of net worth. According to Forbes, James has a net worth of $1.2 billion . That makes him the richest active player.
James is paid a lot of money in the NBA. But Jordan still has more outside earnings. James makes about $900 million from commercial deals with Pepsi and Nike. He also has stakes in certain companies and products, such as Beats by Dre and Fenway Sports Group.
James is ranked as the 2,741st richest person in the world as of July 3. It is unclear whether the above data includes James’ new contract with the Lakers worth $104 million, but with his reputation and stature, James’ assets will continue to increase every year.