These are the highest-paid players in the NBA this season

NBA players are among the highest paid athletes in the world.

Endorsements, including lucrative shoe deals, give them bank off the court, though they’re still making a pretty penny through the salaries they receive from their respective teams.

LeBron James is one of the richest athletes in the world, but if you don’t include the money he makes from endorsement deals like the one he has with Nike, he’s not the highest-paid player in the NBA.

Below is a list of the 25 players that will make more than $25 million in salary for the 2018-19 season, according to Spotrac.

This is the second consecutive season in which Stephen Curry leads the league in salary. The 30-year-old point guard will become the first player in NBA history to eclipse a $40 million salary beginning in 2019.

Such a hike is significant when compared to the top yearly salaries of star players in other eras.

Inflation and a rising salary cap continue to drive the market up for star players as a whole. During a 10-year span between 1999 and 2009, only 11 players earned more than $20 million in a season – with none hitting $30 million.

For the 2018-19 season alone, 43 players will take home $20 million or more in salary, with 11 in that group hitting $30 million.

As for Canada’s team, Kyle Lowry is the only Toronto Raptors player on the list – slotting in at seventh. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard is entering the final year of a bargain contract that will pay him $20.1 million.

See also

• Basketball fans can't believe the size of Kawhi Leonard's hands
• New Raptors jersey leaks on the internet (PHOTO)
• These are the highest-paid NHL hockey players in 2018-19