Michael Jordan's reported Jordan Brand royalties beat out Steph Curry's 2024 earnings by $194,000,000
Michael Jordan's deal with Nike has paid off from the very beginning, and years after signing with the company, the six-time NBA champion's bank account only keeps getting bigger. The impact of his shoe deal is still felt to this day, as MJ as a retired player is getting more money than the highest-paid active NBA player, Steph Curry.
Joe Pompliano explained on X (formerly Twitter) that Jordan Brand's sales have 'exploded' in recent years, going from $2.8 billion in 2018 to $7 billion in 2024. With Jordan getting 5% of royalty, he's reportedly paid $350 million annually, clearly surpassing what he made during his entire NBA career ($94 million).
This is more than double what Steph Curry made this season. According to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, with his salary and endorsements combined, Curry amassed $155.8 million, more than $194 million less than Jordan's royalty fees. The Golden State Warriors superstar surpassed LeBron James, who was used to leading this ranking for several years.
James made $133.7 million, while Giannis Antetokounmpo earned $103.8 million. Kevin Durant with $97.9 million and Damian Lillard with $66.8 million closed out the top five.
Even if Curry and James combined their earnings, they wouldn't keep up with Michael Jordan. His Airness made one of the best shoe deals ever, and his finances will only improve. Pompliano added that the Jordan Brand is on pace to become the second-largest footwear brand in the U.S., surpassing major companies such as Adidas, Pumas and others.
Michael Jordan surpassed NBA's top 3 superstars' combined earnings in 2023
This is not the first time Michael Jordan's finances have been as strong or stronger than active players. In August, fans were shocked by a graphic showing that the Chicago Bulls legend's earnings outpaced LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. While MJ made $329 million, the trio made a combined $311 million.
If Nike and the Jordan Brand keep getting better and sales continue exploding, these numbers will continue to roll in. Jordan sold the Charlotte Hornets last year and reportedly made $3 billion.
Back when he decided to pick Nike over Adidas and Converse, not a lot of people believed that the company would get this big. Jordan proved that he wasn't a legend just on the basketball court but off of it as well.