Forbes and The Athletic, the New York Times’ sports outlet, have both reported the same thing: next season, LeBron James will earn a remarkably low salary from his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers. One of the NBA’s biggest stars of the past three decades has signed a veteran minimum contract, worth around $3.9 million a year. In the context of the league, it is an unusually small figure. Fewer than 300 NBA players will earn more money during the 2026/27 season. The same is true of at least 18 players in the NCAA, the American college basketball system. James is coming off a season in which he earned $53 million in salary alone. His new contract will also pay him less than his first NBA deal: as a rookie with the Cavaliers in 2003/04, he earned $4 million. When he announced his move to Philadelphia on X, he wrote: “I’m not going for money.”
out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?
I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning — LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026
The comparison with college basketball is a reflection of how quickly the NCAA has changed. University programmes can now offer professional-style contracts to their athletes, and the money available has altered the decisions of a generation of prospects. Players who might once have entered the NBA Draft have chosen instead to stay in college—or return there—with salaries rising along the way. The Athletic mentioned Thomas Haugh, Tyran Stokes, JT Toppin, Massamba Diop and several others among those who will earn more than James. Their names may be unfamiliar outside the United States. Their pay cheques will still be bigger than LeBron James’.