The NBA has become richer since LeBron James was drafted the No. 1 overall pick in 2003.
In 2003, the NBA witnessed the arrival of LeBron James as the Cleveland Cavaliers picked him with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Fast forward to 2026, and James is still one of the top players in the league, as the likes of AJ Dybantsa are getting ready to make their debuts.
Speaking of James and Dybantsa, the salaries of the two top picks from more than two decades apart shows the immense growth that the league has gone through during this time.
AJ Dybantsa set to make $50 million more than LeBron James from his rookie contract
Thanks to the astounding TV deals that the NBA has signed over the years, the revenue has skyrocketed since James first entered the league.
For instance, James was arguably the most touted rookie in NBA history, and he made just $18.7 million over the course of his rookie contract which was spread over four years.
In simple terms, James made about $4.6 million per year before signing an extension with the Cavs.
For context, Dybantsa, who was just selected as the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft, will make $50.3 million more than James in the same time period.
AJ Dybantsa’s contract breakdown with the Washington Wizards
After being picked as the No. 1 pick, Dybantsa will reportedly sign a four-year, $69 million rookie contract with the Washington Wizards.
This means he will earn an average annual salary of $17.25 million even before proving himself worthy of leading the Wizards to the playoffs or an NBA Championship.
Moreover, no offense to Dybantsa, he’s a phenomenal prospect, but James was undoubtedly better at his age despite entering the league straight from high school.
At the end of the day, as the league continues to grow, player contracts continue to rise, and it won’t be long before fans start seeing $1 billion contracts for the top stars in the league too.
Read more:
