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The basketball world is buzzing as the NBA's top talents descend upon the Bay Area for the highly anticipated 2025 All-Star Game. Fans are eagerly anticipating the reunion of three superstars who banded together to bring home the gold for Team USA at last summer's Olympics. These three players have not only been key figures in the basketball scene for the past 15 years, but LeBron James, in particular, has been a dominant force for an impressive 21 years. The stage is set for an epic showdown as these legendary athletes showcase their skills and compete for All-Star glory.

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James will team up on the Shaq OG squad. They are the NBA’s on-court OGs with 47 All-Star Game selections, and they are wildly successful off the court as well, earning a combined $230 million from endorsements last year.

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Curry led the way with an estimated $100 million from sponsors and other off-court ventures. When including his playing salary, he made $154 million and ranked second in Sportico’s annual look at the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes. James made an estimated $85 million from his commercial partners, while Durant checked in at $45 million.

The NBA’s player salaries are regulated by maximum salary rules tied to the salary cap, personal accolades, years in the league, and tenure with team. Excluding those players still on rookie contracts, almost everyone playing in the All-Star Game is making at least $35 million in playing salary.

But what separates the rich and the super-rich in the NBA’s financial hierarchy are the off-court earnings, and that usually starts with the shoe deal, which is almost always the biggest sponsor deal for an NBA player. “It’s gotta be the shoes,” Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon famously espoused in a series of Nike basketball ads.

All-Star weekend represents a major point in the calendar for sneaker brands for special activations and product launches. They also use the summer to tap players for overseas trips, with Asia a popular destination.

James, Durant and Curry have the biggest sneaker deals in the sport among active players. Each makes more than $25 million annually from Nike (James, Durant) or Under Armour (Curry).

Curry has been one of the NBA’s most marketable players for the past decade, and his off-court earnings got a bump last year under his latest 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.

James had been the NBA’s top earner each of the previous 11 seasons; Kobe Bryant in 2012-13 was the last player to finish ahead of LeBron before Curry. Last year, James added a pair of lucrative partner deals with Fanatics and DraftKings to go along with Nike, PepsiCo, Taco Bell, Beats and more. Durant’s newest sponsor is energy drink Prime, which joined Nike, FanDuel and NBA 2K in his endorsement stable.

While James, Curry and Durant all have lucrative endorsement portfolios, they have also been aggressive in their entrepreneurial path. James’ most valuable asset is SpringHill Company, which includes production company SpringHill Entertainment, media platform Uninterrupted and brand consultancy Robot. He also owns stakes in Fenway Sports Group, Lobos 1707 Tequila and Blaze Pizza. Last year, he was part of the group of strategic investors in the PGA Tour.

In 2018, Curry founded Unanimous Media to release films, TV shows, books and podcasts. His other ventures include a venture investment firm, Penny Jar Capital; the “Underrated Tour” for overlooked basketball and golf talents; and a Kentucky Straight Bourbon brand, Gentleman’s Cut.

KD founded 35V in 2016 with business partner Rich Kleiman, and their Boardroom media network covers sports, entertainment and culture. Durant’s sports-focused investments include Athletes Unlimited, Gotham FC, League One Volleyball, Philadelphia Union, Premier Lacrosse League, Major League Pickleball and TMRW Sports.

In December, James turned 40, and Curry and Durant will both be 37 this year. So, the sneaker brands are in search of the mega-star for the next decade in the NBA, and a pair of new stars cashed in last year because of it.

Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined NBA MVP and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić as the only unanimous All-NBA First-Team members. Gilgeous-Alexander, the slithery Oklahoma City Thunder guard, has elevated his play again and is a runaway favorite to win the NBA MVP this year. Converse locked him up in 2024 under a deal estimated at $15 million a year. On Thursday, fans got a first look at SGA’s debut signature shoe. Gilgeous-Alexander also signed a multimillion-dollar Panini agreement for autographs and memorabilia.

Anthony Edwards signed his own eight-figure-a-year extension with Adidas, which has used the Minnesota Timberwolves wing prominently in its marketing campaigns. Edwards’ first signature shoe was released in December 2023 and was a hit. His other partner brands are Sprite, Fanatics, Chipotle, Bose, Hisense, Call of Duty and Panini.

Methodology

Sportico estimated off-court earnings for 2024 through conversations with those familiar with NBA endorsement deals. Also included are royalties from sneaker deals, as well as earnings from memorabilia, appearances, media and businesses tied to their celebrity. We exclude investment income unless it is connected to an endorsement agreement. The figures are all before taxes and any agent fees.

The top 10 earned an estimated total of $386 million off the court last year.

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