LeBron James and Stephen Curry continue to defy age, showcasing their exceptional talent and basketball IQ week after week. However, their influence goes beyond their on-court performances. Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie recently highlighted how these two superstars, alongside other top players, have contributed to the NBA’s financial success.
“The most underrated thing about LeBron, especially when people criticize him, is the billions he’s generated for the league over the last 20 years,” Dinwiddie shared during an interview with former NBA player Theo Pinson on Run Your Race. “That’s why these salaries are so high.”
The Mavericks guard didn’t stop at praising LeBron’s contributions, extending credit to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant for their roles in the NBA’s financial growth. “Him, Steph, and KD—they’ve put so much money in everybody else’s pocket,” he explained.
Dinwiddie’s assessment is backed by concrete data. “When I entered the league, the minimum salary was $500,000,” he recalled, a stark contrast to today’s minimum of $1,157,153 under NBA rules. The numbers further emphasize his point: in 2003, the year LeBron James debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA’s salary cap stood at $43.8 million per team. Today, that figure has more than tripled, showcasing the league’s remarkable financial growth.
Dallas Mavericks Guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) in action during a NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls.
Curry, LeBron’s legacy of financial growth
LeBron James and Stephen Curry are widely regarded as the two most influential players of the past two decades. However, their impact builds upon a foundation laid by previous generations of NBA greats.
“We owe those three (LeBron, Curry, and Durant), and there are the ones that came before them,” Dinwiddie reflected. “The Kobe’s (Bryant), the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird when they had their thing, the Dr. J’s (Julius Erving); there’s always kind of been every era has had that matchup or those guys that transcended the game, and because they’re so great, it put money in everybody else’s pocket.”
How much money do the NBA’s top stars make?
The financial growth of the NBA is evident in the staggering salaries of its top players. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors currently leads the league, earning $55,761,216 annually. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers follows with $51,415,938, the same amount as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
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LeBron James, nearing the end of his legendary career, ranks 14th with an annual salary of $48,728,845. Other stars ahead of him include Kevin Durant ($51,179,021), Jaylen Brown ($49,205,800), and Jimmy Butler ($48,798,677).
