LeBron James will go down as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and by the end of the 2025–26 season, he will also go down as the highest earner in NBA history, with $583,949,926 in career salary. Yet, in a shocking twist, LeBron has only been the highest-paid player in the league for one single season: 2016–17.
LeBron James Year-by-Year Earnings
2003–04: $4,018,920
2004–05: $4,320,360
2005–06: $4,621,800
2006–07: $5,828,090
2007–08: $13,041,250
2008–09: $14,410,581
2009–10: $15,779,912
2010–11: $14,500,000
2011–12: $16,022,500
2012–13: $17,545,000
2013–14: $19,067,500
2014–15: $20,644,400
2015–16: $22,971,000
2016–17: $30,963,450
2017–18: $33,285,709
2018–19: $35,654,150
2019–20: $37,436,858
2020–21: $39,219,566
2021–22: $41,180,544
2022–23: $44,474,988
2023–24: $47,607,350
2024–25: $48,728,845
2025-26: $52,627,153
Career Earnings: $583,949,926
Yes, the player widely regarded as the best in the world for the better part of two decades has only topped the league’s salary charts once.
That lone season came during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he earned $30,963,450, narrowly outpacing contemporaries like Kevin Durant and Mike Conley. For context, Stephen Curry has been the NBA’s highest-paid player for eight straight seasons and will continue to hold that crown for at least the next two.
The reason? LeBron has consistently prioritized flexibility, control, and winning over salary maximization. During his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers (2003–2010), LeBron wasn’t even among the top 20 highest-paid players.
It wasn’t until the 2011–12 season, in his second year with the Miami Heat, that he finally cracked that list. From there, he climbed steadily: 11th in 2012–13, 9th in 2013–14, 6th in 2014–15, 2nd in 2015–16, and finally 1st in 2016–17.
But even after finally reaching the top, he didn’t stay there long. In the seasons that followed, LeBron dropped to 2nd in 2017–18, then 3rd in 2018–19, 6th in 2019–20, 7th in 2020–21, 6th in 2021–22, and 3rd in both the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.
He fell further to 14th in 2024–25 and currently ranks 12th heading into 2025–26. Despite these rankings, his consistent contracts and longevity have helped him accumulate the largest salary total in league history.
However, that record may not last long. With the rise of $300 million contracts and projected $400 million deals looming in the next few years, younger stars like Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are poised to eventually surpass LeBron’s earnings.
Longevity and timing will dictate who claims the financial crown, and the modern supermax landscape favors those who stay loyal to a single franchise.
Which brings us to Stephen Curry, the perfect contrast to LeBron in this regard. Curry has spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors, enabling him to sign increasingly massive extensions under the NBA’s bird rights rules.
This loyalty has paid off financially, allowing him to command the largest possible deals each time he re-ups with Golden State. Curry’s consistency and commitment to one team have allowed him to maximize his salary in a way LeBron never did.
LeBron, on the other hand, moved franchises three times in free agency from Cleveland to Miami, back to Cleveland, then to the Lakers, each time sacrificing money for power, control, and roster flexibility. While that cost him the title of highest-paid annually, it arguably helped him win four championships and build his brand beyond basketball.
In the end, it’s fitting. LeBron James made decisions that gave him influence, not necessarily income. He didn’t always cash the biggest checks, but he changed the game and the business of basketball in a way no paycheck could quantify.
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