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Just 10 years ago, Kobe Bryant was by far the highest paid player in the NBA at $27.8M



Just 10 years ago, Kobe Bryant was by far the highest paid player in the NBA at $27.8M



by AtreusIsBack

28 Comments

  1. MrAppleSpoink

    It’s disturbing how we’ve normalized this kind of pay for these guys. We could do so much good in our world with this kind of money yet we don’t.

  2. That’s Jordan Poole money these days. 27.9M for him this season

  3. SUPERSAMMICH6996

    Additionally, Michael Jordan earned a salary of 33.1 million USD in 1997-98, which to this day is the highest salary in NBA history when adjusted for inflation. In fact, as a whole, Max salaries have gone down in the NBA (when looked at as a percentage of cap), for a while now. That is mostly due to the shortening of max contract lengths.

    Actually, the more I’ve thought about it… there’s a chance that Jordan’s salary is never eclipsed when adjusted for inflation. It would be worth the equivalent to 62.5 million USD today, and by the time players like Jaylen Brown are making 60 million a season, that will probably be closer to the equivalent of 70 million USD…

  4. Aufrodisiac

    MVP Kobe’s salary was the same price the US paid for the Louisiana Purchase.

  5. BeIow_the_Heavens

    Wait till the first billion dollar contract goes out to bryce or some shit

  6. Silver-Bandicoot-969

    Inflation adjusted puts that at about 37million. Here are some players with less than or around the same AAV today:

    1. Klay Thompson
    2. Anthony Davis
    3. Tobias Harris
    4. Shai gilgeous-alexander
    5. Michael Porter Jr

  7. SUPERSAMMICH6996

    For reference, adjusted for inflation, Kobe made 36.48 million USD that season, so he would still be the 20th highest paid player in the 2022-23 season. However, for better context, that is still only roughly 1.6 million less than the 11th highest paid player, Rudy Gobert, who made 38.17 million. So Kobe wouldn’t be making chump change comparatively.

  8. The pace salaries increased is honestly mind-blowing. These dudes are making BANK.

  9. Robinsonirish

    The Lakers overpaid Kobe at the end but then again, they didn’t.

    Kobe was overpaid because;

    > In 2013 Bryant had surgery on April 13 to repair the tear, and it was estimated he would miss six to nine months.

    > Bryant resumed practicing in November 2013, after the 2013–14 season had already begun. On November 25, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers at an estimated value of $48.5 million

    Kobe was 35 years old in the 2013-2014 season, coming off a major injury . He signed the biggest contract in the league *after* he tore his achilles, this is crazy.

    Kobe was *not* overpaid beacuse;

    This is what the Lakers do, what they did for Kobe reafirmed players belief in that Lakers take care of their own. They had/have such a good reputation around the league and everyone wants to play for them. Doing right by their players is a big part of that. It’s hard to put a value on peice of mind.

    When compared to other franchises who throw their players under the bus, Lakers deserve their good standing among the players in the league, at least when it comes to their superstars.

  10. blacksoxing

    The joy of Skip and SAS trying not to laugh as they know they’re arguing over dumb shit.

    “I’m a prisoner of what I just saw in the playoffs….” is his out for “I gotta fill out time.”

    Next year when the Lakers are not at the top of the playoffs Skip will dust off this same argument about LeBron and whomever is on the other side of the table will be thinking “just smile, as only a few years ago LeBron won a ring…”

  11. uhAckchyually

    Money has made the league less fun to watch

  12. Francis_Picklefield

    y’all need to watch the linked first take clip too. this is when the show was in its prime. the two of them are hamming it up so much and it’s obvious they’re each not trying to burst out laughing over how ridiculous they’re being

  13. RealBatuRem

    Back when you actually had to be elite to get paid like you’re elite.

  14. Impressive-Potato

    This is why collective bargaining power is important for athletes.
    If only UFC fighters would understand

  15. mayraortega

    Anybody else came back here after Kobe’s passing? RIP Black Mamba

  16. marshman93_

    One of the all time great First Take clips

  17. SlicedMango

    I know a lot of people support athletes getting paid more money, but nobody considers that the consumer ends up paying for it (whether it be through increased ticket prices, merch prices, cable/streaming prices or more ads). Like all major businesses the owners never eat the bill, it always gets passed to the customer

  18. Objective_Celery_509

    Stephen and Skip was an all time duo. So much chaos and hot takes lol.

  19. WernerHerzog69420

    And my rent was 2/3 of what it is now

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