NBA salary comparison: LeBron James vs. other NBA legends
Four-time NBA champion LeBron James became the highest-paid player in NBA history in 2020 when he passed the unforgettable Kobe Bryant. His reign will not survive for long after he hangs up his sneakers, however, not with NBA superstars cashing in near nine-figure salaries in the near future.
Either way, there's no denying James has been very well financially compensated for his efforts in his career. To see how he stacks up with other NBA stars from today or back in the day, we used HoopsHype's new Salary Comparison tool, which you can use to compare any two players' salaries throughout NBA history.
Check out how James' salary throughout his career compares to the likes of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Bryant and more!
Michael Jordan
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Michael Jordan: $86,760,000 ($176,269,876 adjusted to inflation)
Kobe Bryant
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Kobe Bryant: $328,237,108 ($490,921,199 adjusted to inflation)
Shaquille O'Neal
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Shaquille O'Neal: $292,198,327 ($502,134,392 adjusted to inflation)
Tim Duncan
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Tim Duncan: $245,964,351 ($377,469,189 adjusted to inflation)
Hakeem Olajuwon
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Hakeem Olajuwon: $102,998,594 ($199,998,579 adjusted to inflation)
Kevin Durant
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Kevin Durant: $511,827,650 through 2025-26
Stephen Curry
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Stephen Curry: $535,799,872 through 2026-27
Kevin Garnett
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Kevin Garnett: $343,862,398 ($546,763,404 adjusted to inflation)
Dirk Nowitzki
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Dirk Nowitzki: $255,371,800 ($373,118,02 adjusted to inflation)
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Giannis Antetokounmpo: $471,520,147 through 2027-28
Dwyane Wade
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Dwyane Wade: $199,499,205 ($276,204,280 adjusted to inflation)
Scottie Pippen
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Scottie Pippen: $107,892,430 ($201,279,052 adjusted to inflation)
Chris Paul
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Chris Paul: $400,637,385 through 2024-25
Nikola Jokic
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Nikola Jokic: $426,859,111 through 2027-28
Allen Iverson
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Allen Iverson: $154,494,445 ($255,258,619 adjusted to inflation)
Kawhi Leonard
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Kawhi Leonard: $428,915,838 through 2026-27
Steve Nash
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Steve Nash: $146,936,620 ($225,414,271 adjusted to inflation)
James Harden
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
James Harden: $410,720,428 through 2025-26
Anthony Davis
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Anthony Davis: $498,161,003 through 2027-28
Damian Lillard
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Damian Lillard: $451,772,802 through 2026-27
Joel Embiid
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Joel Embiid: $514,845,898 through 2028-29
Luka Doncic
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Luka Doncic: $247,635,851 through 2026-27
Jayson Tatum
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Jayson Tatum: $469,910,004 through 2029-30
Paul George
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Paul George: $518,679,877 through 2027-28
Jimmy Butler
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Jimmy Butler: $365,096,659 through 2025-26
Devin Booker
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Devin Booker: $388,608,149 through 2027-28
Jaylen Brown
Guaranteed career earnings
LeBron James: $583,949,426 through 2025-26
Jaylen Brown: $420,199,097 through 2028-29
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA salary comparison: LeBron James vs. other NBA legends
