Despite Playing 15 Fewer NBA Seasons in LA, LeBron James Has Already Earned 60% of Kobe Bryant’s Lakers Earnings

To don a Lakers jersey is a dream for many hoopers. And why not? The incredible franchise has 17 titles, joint most with the Celtics. It has harbored magnificent legends like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain in the older era. Since the 80s, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant adorned the home of the Lakers. Bryant played the most seasons with them in what was an unbelievable 20 seasons run. 

So it was natural that LeBron James wanted to be a part of the storied franchise. How about a little sneak peek at the salaries for lifelong Lakers Bryant and five-season Lakers James?

The context behind Kobe Bryant’s Lakers contracts

In the current NBA, a superstar nabbing a $60 million per year deal is commonplace. Jaylen Brown inked a five-year $304 million and Anthony Davis, a three-year $186 million deal. In comparison, Bryant’s highest per-year deal was the three-year $83,547,447 deal that he signed after 2010. This deal still fell below the $30 million per year mark. But these numbers still made him the highest-paid athlete.

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But even till his last season, he remained the highest-paid player. Therefore, it is the valuation that has skyrocketed in the post-Bryant era. A player of his caliber would have easily received even a bigger deal than the Jaylen Brown one.

Therefore, when comparing the value of contracts for both KB24 and LBJ, it is important to note the difference in valuation. If we also put inflation into the context, the comparison becomes even more complex. When Bryant entered in the late 1990s, the contracts were many times cheaper except for MJ. If we take into his overall, including his seven-year $136 million deal, the player earned about $323 million dollars.

Now, let us jump into James’ contracts as a Lakers athlete. 

LeBron James enjoying the fruits of the current market

LeBron James is going to enter the second year of his $99 million deal and is set to be paid more than $50 million during the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Before this, he signed a two-year $85 million deal, which was an extension. Apart from that, his first contract with the Lakers was a four-year $153 million one. Overall, James’ earnings have hit around $197 million at the end of his fifth season with the Lakers. If we compare Bryant’s 20 season’s $323,312,307 and James’ five-season $197,966,106 with the Lakers, LBJ has already covered 60% of Bryant’s earnings.

At the current rate, it seems like James will surpass Bryant’s Lakers contract numbers if he has two more seasons after the next one. Will he accomplish this during the next free agency?

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