NBA players are entitled to 51% of the league’s “basketball-related income” as laid out in the collective bargaining agreement. So the pecking order for the elite stars is ultimately determined by their off-court income, with the shoe deal the biggest component of those earnings. There are ten active NBA players who will make at least $10 million from their shoe contracts this year, by Forbes’ count. He’ll still pocket his full first-year salary from the Brooklyn Nets under the four-year, $164 million deal he signed in July. James signed an endorsement in 2019 with Walmart that is rooted in community work.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 27, 2020 14:15 UTC