NBA Young Money Millionaires: Part One

We all know the enormous contracts that many of the games best get for playing. But often, most of the biggest stars in the league make more away from the court.

LayupDrill.com takes a look at the top moneymakers in the game today.

1. LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers - $28 Million

LeBron’s earnings off the court is estimated to top nearly $28 million this year alone, according to Fortune Magazine. The many products that he backs include Nike, Coke, Upper Deck, Bubbalicious, State Farm, and MSN.

2. Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City - $21 Million

The young superstar is still playing on his rookie contract, but his hustle off the court has paid off for him. Durant has big-money deals in place with Nike and Gatorade.

3. Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers - $16 Million

The MVP may be trailing King James in endorsements, but he certainly isn’t hurting for money. Kobe’s annual salary for this season was just under $20 million, and his total income off the court trails at $16 million.

Seems like just yesterday companies were dropping Kobe left and right after the infamous Colorado trip, but now he’s one of the frontmen for VitaminWater, Nike, Upper Deck, and Gameloft.

4. Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic - $15.5 Million

Orlando’s personable big man is another young star to become a hit to companies. Adidas and Vitamin Water already, and he was the cover athlete for NBA Ballers: Chosen One.

5. Shaquille O Neal - Phoenix Suns - $15 Million

Shaq doesn’t like being behind Kobe in anything, especially not on the money-makers list.Though Shaq is in the decline of his playing career, his personality and stature off the court has always made him very marketable.

Shaq earned $20 million in salary last year, and made $15 million in endorsements from Chinese sneaker company Li-Ning. He also sold his 2.5-acre Miami estate late last year to New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, after having it on the market for almost two years.

6. Dwayne Wade - Miami Heat - $12 Million

Even though D. Wade was injured for most of the 2007-08 season, he had a banner year off the court. Wade has managed to masterfully market himself, scoring endorsement deals with T-Mobile, Gatorade, Converse, and Topps.

7. Kevin Garnett - Boston Celtics - $9 Million

The highest paid member of the Big Three is KG, who has seen his face pop up more and more in recent months. Most noticable are his deal with Adidas and his gracing the cover of NBA 2K9.

8. Allen Iverson - Denver Nuggets - $7 Million

The Answer is another superstar nearing the end of his marketing prime, and the 21 million dollars he earned on the court probably kept him happy. But AI is still making moves off, including his longtime partnership with Reebok.