Forbes 2018: 10 Highest Paid NBA Players By Off-Court Endorsement Earnings
A huge reason why there are 40 basketball (NBA) players on the Forbes 2018 Highest Paid Athletes List is the huge contracts that the franchises in the league can afford to give out. A spike in every team's salary cap can be credited to the league's new TV deal, something that got implemented into the team's cap in 2016 and saw it jump from $70 million to $94 million.
But that isn't the only money the players receive. NBA is among the most followed pro sports league in the world, so a lot of brands want to invest in these players to diversify and enlarge the reach, impact and eventually sales of their company.
So, there is a lot of endorsement money also present in the league and a majority of the players in the league earns at least close to a million through endorsements but just like the player salaries, there are some who earn far more than the rest.
Here we rank the Top 10 highest paid NBA Players through endorsements:
#10 Klay Thompson - $13 Million
Major Sponsors - Anta Sports Products, Body Armor, BMW Group, Electronic Arts, Fanatics
Klay Thompson's player salary alone doesn't rank him high on any list but playing in the Bay Area certainly takes his brand value. The 3-time NBA Champion earned $13 million from June 1, 2017 to June 1, 2018 through endorsements, a large part of which comes from his most recent 10-year shoe deal with Anta Sports Products.
While on a multi-city tour of China last year, Klay signed this extension with Anta that keeps him with the company till 2026. The deal is expected to be around $80 million provided the sharpshooter meets certain incentives.
Given the success, he tasted once again in 2018 as the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, expect him to be much higher on this list next year.