Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
There’s no shortage of accolades to list for Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry. He’s a two-time MVP. A four-time champion. A nine-time All-Star. The greatest shooter in NBA history. The face of a shoe line. The head of a production company. He changed the game.
And now he can add another title: one of the highest-paid athletes in history.
According to Sportico, Curry is the 29th-highest paid athlete in history when you adjust for inflation. After inflation adjustments, the estimated $565 million that Curry has made is worth roughly $655 million.
It’s good to be the Chef.
Curry isn’t the only person with a Warriors connection on the Sportico list, which covers the 50 highest-paid athletes ever. His former teammate and current Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant (who is out with an injury at the moment) is 18th on the list, with $710 million in earnings equating to $850 million after adjusting for inflation.
Between good salaries and plenty of sponsorship opportunities, the NBA is a great place to make money, and that’s reflected on the Sportico list, as 13 basketball players are included in the top 50. In addition to Curry and Durant, the list features Michael Jordan (No. 1), LeBron James (No. 6), Kobe Bryant (Tie-No. 13), Shaquille O’Neal (Tie-No. 13), Magic Johnson (No. 33), Kevin Garnett (Tie-No. 35), Russell Westbrook (No. 42), Dwyane Wade (No. 45), Carmelo Anthony (No. 47), Chris Paul (No. 49), and James Harden (No. 50).
That’s significantly more representation than any other sport, as golf was next with eight players on the list. Boxing was third with seven athletes, followed by five tennis players, four soccer players, four Formula 1 drivers, three football players, two baseball players, two NASCAR drivers, one MotoGP racer, and one MMA fighter.
It’s not surprising that Jordan tops the list, with inflation-adjusted earnings of $3.3 billion, though I think you could make a strong case that all of these estimates are conservative. The top 10 is rounded out by Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Cristiano Ronaldo, James, Lionel Messi, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roger Federer, and Phil Mickelson.
Now the real question: can I get a loan, Steph?