Stephen Curry and LeBron James are the greatest players of their generation, with a combined six NBA MVP Awards and 16 NBA Finals appearances. They paired up for the first time this summer in a competitive situation—All-Star Games don’t count—to lead the U.S. to its fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
The duo have also laid the blueprint for the modern-day NBA star to build a legacy off the court with endorsements and equity in a myriad of businesses on top of their max-level playing salaries. They will once again be the NBA’s two highest-paid players this season, but the usual order of the pairing has been flipped, with Curry set to earn an estimated $155.8 million and James at $133.7 million from salaries and off-court incomes.James had been the NBA’s top earner each of the past 11 seasons, with Kobe Bryant in 2012-13 the last player to finish ahead of LeBron before Curry this year.
Overall, the top 15 players in the league will earn a combined $1.13 billion in salaries and endorsements, up 11% from last year. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($103.8 million), Kevin Durant ($97.9 million) and Damian Lillard ($66.8 million) round out the top five.Curry will have the highest playing salary in the NBA for the eighth straight year; his Golden State deal is worth $55.8 million this season. This summer, he signed a one-year extension with the Warriors that will pay the two-time NBA MVP $62.6 million for the 2026-27 season and push his career earnings from playing salaries and endorsements past $1 billion.
Curry has been one of the NBA’s most marketable players for the past decade, and his off-court earnings of $100 million received a bump this year tied to his long-term Under Armour contract extension. In addition, he received $75 million worth of restricted stock units as part of the UA deal, which vest in 2029 and 2034—these units are not part of his current comp. Curry’s other endorsement partners are JPMorgan Chase, Callaway, Rakuten, Panini, USA Sports Marketing, Fanatics and Simplicity.
Outside of his endorsements, Curry is building multiple businesses. In 2018, he founded Unanimous Media to release films, TV shows, books and podcasts. The latest TV show is Mr. Throwback, which airs on Peacock. Curry launched a venture firm, Penny Jar Capital, in 2021 that has made more than 20 investments. His “Underrated Tours” for basketball and golf provide overlooked young talents a place to showcase their skills. Last year, Curry started his own Kentucky Straight Bourbon brand, Gentleman’s Cut.
