How about that, huh? LeBron James - $32,000,000 And he hasn't even laced up in an NBA game in two decades. Jordan more than four times as much as LeBron James. Jordan makes an estimated five percent off each sale of Air Jordans around the world. When Jordan first signed his Nike deal in 1984 it was worth $500,000 annually plus royalties. Retro sales generated $3.9 billion in sales in 2020, according to Matt Powell of the NPD Group. The sneaker market is now dominated by re-releases of old Jordans and Air Force 1s, versus the performance market which has seen its market share decrease. While his earnings during his playing career were impressive, Jordan has been able to amass the majority of his estimated $1.6 billion fortune since retirement.Ī lot of his yearly income now comes from his company Jordan Brand - a sub-division of Nike - which in 2021 alone generated $4.7 billion in revenue. As you can see, Michael Jordan still reigns supreme. Here are the top deals in terms of average annual value. Who are the biggest earners from sneaker deals in the NBA? The Sporting News has you covered right here. So, if Jordan still sits atop the mountain when it comes to money earned from sneakers, which are some of the other richest deals in the NBA today? Jordan's signature line opened the way for players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and others to capitalize and earn significant money from a shoe line.Īs sneaker culture grew and became more mainstream, so did the money invested by the sneaker companies in the hope of landing that once-in-a-lifetime marketable talent like Jordan.įor players, securing a sneaker deal is another stamp of validation that they have arrived as an NBA star. Despite not having laced up some of his signature shoes on an NBA floor since April 16, 2003, Michael Jordan still reigns supreme when it comes to NBA sneaker deals.

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