The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) are the most competitive and widely-followed basketball leagues in the world. As a consequence, the players plying their trade in them are megastars with huge legions of adoring fanbases, which has further led to these superstar athletes raking in millions from brand endorsements alone.
SportsPro recently released a list of top 150 most marketable athletes in 2024, which comprised many basketball stars from the US. The criteria for the list had three major factors taken into consideration:
- brand strength,
- total addressable market (TAM), and
- economics in play.
So let’s take a look at the most marketable basketball players in 2024.
10. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant can easily be regarded as one of the best NBA players of all time who still continues to play at the top level, so it’s not a mighty surprise that he is on this list.
A two-time NBA champion and four-time Olympic gold-medallist with Team USA, the power forward for the Phoenix Suns has many team and personal accolades to his name. All this success has translated into many major brands collaborating with Durant.
Durant currently earns a whopping US$51 million in yearly salary from the Suns. In addition, he has an enviable brand portfolio that boasts Nike, Gatorade, Google, 2K Sports, Fanatics, FanDuel, Skullcandy, Sonic Drive-in, Alaska Air Group, and American Family Insurance.
Durant has also invested in over 80 companies. The media brand Boardroom is also his brainchild.
9. Sabrina Ionescu
Sabrina Ionescu has been one of the leading players in the WNBA for the past few years and is regarded as one of the best collegiate level players of all time. The 2022 FIBA World Cup winner and 2024 Paris Olympics gold-medallist has many personal achievements to her name.
Ionescu earns a yearly gross salary of US$205,030 from the New York Liberty. However, a major chunk of her earnings come from her numerous brand endorsements. The 27-year-old has agreements in place with Nike, AT&T, Body Armour, State Farm, Beats by Dre, and Xbox. She has also introduced her signature shoe and clothing line in collaboration with Nike and is known for her keen business acumen.
8. Angel Reese
Nicknamed the “Bayou-Barbie”, Angel Reese was the seventh overall draft in 2024. The young power forward’s first season was marred with injuries, but she still impressed one and all with her consistent performances.
Being a draft pick this year, Reese earns a yearly salary of US$74,909. In addition, she earns from a huge number of brand endorsement deals with Goldman Sachs, Topps, Beats by Dre, Tampax, Airbnb, Amazon, PlayStation, Zoa Energy, SI Swimsuit, Starry, Bose, JanSport, Campus Ink (jerseys), Raising Cane’s, Bose, Sonic, Caktus AI, Bayou Traditions, Intuit TurboTax, Mielle Organics, and TOGETHXR. An up-and-coming young talent, Reese is only going to become an even bigger earner from brand endorsements in the coming years.
7. A’ja Wilson
A two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces and two-time Olympic gold-medallist, A’ja Wilson is one of the best players in the WNBA. She was the first overall draft in 2018 when she started her professional career. She has also been named as the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player several times and continues to impress with her consistent performances every season, which has led to many lucrative brand endorsement deals.
Wilson earns a yearly salary of US$227,303. In addition, her brand endorsement earnings come from major names like Nike, Ruffles, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade. The 28-year-old also owns a luxury candle company called the Burnt Wax Candle Company. In 2024, her long time sponsor Nike also collaborated with her to launch a signature shoe collection called “A’One”.
6. Kelsey Plum
A two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces and a Paris 2024 Olympic gold-medallist, Kelsey Plum is also the all-time leading women’s scorer in the NCAA Championship. She was the first overall draft pick in 2017 and has since then performed consistently at franchise level. Her recent success at Paris 2024 has only added to her ever-rising stock.
Plum earns a yearly salary of US$200,000 from the Aces. The 30-year-old also has an expansive brand portfolio of featuring names like Under Armour, Google Pixel, Skims, Target, Legal Zoom, ZipUSA, and Smartwater. Plum previously had an agreement in place with Nike before she switched to Under Armour last year. She is also known to have an affinity for cigars, which has led to her owning a signature cigar line with popular cigar brand Kingmaker Cigars.
Also read: Top 10 most marketable footballers in 2024
5. Breanna Stewart
A three-time WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold-medallist, Breanna Stewart is considered as one of the most accomplished players in the WNBA. Having won several team and individual honours, the power forward has been associated with several leading brands.
Stewart takes home an yearly salary of US$205,000 courtesy of the New York Liberty. Her brand endorsement deals consist of agreements with PUMA, BodyArmour, Ally Banks, Mattress Firm, Ticketmaster, and Therabody. She has also previously collaborated with Nike, Clif Bar, and Premier Catch.
The 30-year-old, along with fellow WNBA player Napheesa Collier, has co-founded Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women’s basketball league scheduled to begin in 2025 in Miami, Florida. 30 women players have joined this league thus far, all of whom will receive equity and more than US$100,000 each.
4. Stephen Curry
A four-time NBA champion, Paris Olympics 2024 gold-medallist, and two-time FIBA World Cup winner, the Golden State Warriors point guard needs little introduction. Considered as one of the best shooters in NBA history, Curry hardly misses from distance.
Apart from team honours, Steph Curry has achieved incredible individual honours that have seen his worth grow not only on court but off it as well.
The 36-year-old is currently the highest earner in the NBA with an yearly salary of US$55.7 million. He has also added to his brand portfolio deals with the likes of Under Armour, Chase, Nissan Motors, Rakuten, Sony, JP Morgan, Brita, Unilever, Vivo, Infiniti, and FTX. He has his own signature Under Armour line called Curry Brand, which creates shoes, apparel, and accessories. In addition to this, Curry has been known to invest in several brands to diversify his portfolio.
3. Paige Bueckers
Paige Bueckers is quite a surprise entry in this illustrious list. Still playing college basketball and plays for the UConn Huskies, the 23-year-old has performed fairly well at the national level, having won a gold medal with USA in youth Olympics and represented the USA women’s team in 3X3 basketball.
Even at collegiate level, her achievements have led Bueckers to be one of the most marketable players in the world. She is already earning from brand endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Bose, StockX, Unrivaled, Chegg, Crocs, Cashapp, and Nerf in addition to social media collaborations.
According to Forbes, Bueckers is earning almost US$1 million in brand endorsements. This is only the start for the talented player, and her stock will grow further with a WNBA draft pick.
2. Caitlin Clark
Caitlin Clark is currently the most popular WNBA player. She played with the Iowa Hawkeyes at college level and is considered as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time.
Clark was a first-round, first overall WNBA draft in 2024. In one season only, she won several honours, including the Rookie of the Year award and inclusion in the All-WNBA First Team in her debut season. She has also won three U19 FIBA World Cups with the US U19 team.
Clark currently earns a yearly salary of US$78,066 with the Indiana Fever. However, her earnings from brand endorsement deals already surpass her base salary. Her brand endorsements include Nike, Wilson, Gatorade, Bose, State Farm, Buick, Hy-Vee, H & R Block, Tops, Shoot-A-Way, and Goldman Sachs. She is also in contact with Nike for a new signature shoe line.
1. LeBron James
Popularly known as “King James”, Lebron James is regarded as one of the best all-time players and is often compared to the great Michael Jordan. The records and accolades speak for themselves, for he is a four-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers, a multiple Olympic gold-medallist with Team USA, and has many MVP awards to his name.
James earns a massive yearly salary of US$48.7 million from the Lakers. The 39-year-old’s continued success, popularity, and longevity have led to brands queuing up to collaborate with him. Over the years, his endorsement deals have included many global brands, including the likes of Nike, Louis Vuitton, AT&T, State Farm, Walmart, Upper Deck, Taco Bell, Audemars Piguet, Fanatics, GMC, Beats, Crypto.com, Blaze Pizza, Dunkin’, LIFEWTR, Intel, Samsung, and Kia. He has also had deals with Coca-Cola, Reebok, and Adidas in the past.
According to Forbes, in May 2023, James became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
When Fenway Sports Group (FSG) became the sole global marketer of his rights in 2021, as part of the deal James was granted a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club, which is owned by FSG.
Even in the twilight of his career, James’s popularity remains off the charts as he remains the most marketable basketball player of 2024.
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