If there’s any sport that is bigger than football, it is basketball. Hence, the money spent to uplift the players and the game is astonishingly high.
Football and basketball are almost in the same league when it comes to popularity, history of clubs, fan following and expenditure to nurture talent along with upliftment of the game. On the monetary front, basketball remains slightly higher than football. In the recent past, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has signed a huge deal with ESPN and TNT. Thus, the generation of revenue from television rights will further boom NBA’s economy.
Due to these reasons, the salary and contract cap of NBA players have increased by many folds. In football, we only have a handful of players crossing the 100 million dollars mark whereas, in basketball, there’s plenty. What follows in this article is a list of some of the most expensive contracts ever signed in NBA history. The numbers are mind-boggling.
Chris Paul
In the year 2013, the point guard Chris Paul signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers at a whopping 107.3 million dollars. At that time, the player was not even 28-years-old.
Lebron James
A free agent Lebron James signed a six-year deal at 109.8 million dollars with the Miami Heat. However, the player opted out in the fourth year.
Chris Bosh
Another player who was signed by the Miami Heat is Chris Bosh, who received exactly the same contract as Lebron James. If we look at the stat, then Miami Heat spent close to 219 million dollars on just two players.
Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol signed a five-year deal with Memphis Grizzlies at 113.2 million dollars with an option to opt-out in the final year.
Al Horford
Boston Celtics landed Horford in their team with a four-year contract at 113.3 million dollars.
Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh’s name is added second time in the list because the player was able to get another expensive contract with the Miami Heat. His new contract was worth 118 million dollars for a period of five years.
Shaquille O’Neal
A legend of the game, O’Neal grabbed a 120 million dollars contract with Los Angeles Lakers and went onto win three championships with the team in yellow and purple.
Kobe Bryant
Talking about basketball and not mentioning Kobe Bryant, the late superstar of the game is a sin. In NBA history, Kobe grabbed one of the most expensive contracts ever at 136.4 million dollars with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans around the world still miss the legend whose life tragically ended when his chopper crashed down on January 26 2020.
Mike Conley Junior
The contract offered to Junior was a shocker considering he is a mediocre point-guard. His contract was worth 152.6 million dollars, offered to him by Memphis Grizzlies. The contract is the biggest one in NBA history to date.
