The NBA playoffs are in full swing so we thought it would be appropriate to post the latest list of the highest paid players in basketball for 2013. In terms of making money playing a sport, it doesn't get much better than the NBA. The top NBA players are some of the highest paid athletes in any sport in the world. And the best part about basketball contracts is that they are all completely 100% guaranteed. That means if you sign a $100 million contract then suffer a career ending injury the very next day, you still get paid all of your money. That is not the case in the NFL. If an NFL player gets injured on his first day, he gets nothing. But on to the highest paid NBA players of 2013…
Highest Paid NBA Players 2013 / Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Not surprisingly, once again Kobe Bryant (whose Lakers got booted from the playoffs last week) is the highest paid NBA player in the league. The rest of the top 10 is completely different from last year. For example, last year's second highest player Rashard Lewis is no longer even in the top 50. Last year Rashard made $22.1 million, this year he is making $1.3 million. The same is also true for last year's #3 player Tim Duncan whose $9 million 2013 salary is not enough to crack the top 50 this year.
- 1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers: $27,849,149
- 2. Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks: $20,907,128
- 3. Carmelo Anthony – New York Knicks: $20,463,024
- 4. Amar'e Stoudemire – New York Knicks: $19,948,799
- 5. Joe Johnson – Brooklyn Nets: $19,752,645
- 6. Dwight Howard – Los Angeles Lakers: $19,536,360
- 7. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers: $19,000,000
- 8. Chris Paul – Los Angeles Clippers: $17,779,458
- 9. LeBron James – Miami Heat: $17,545,000
- 10. Chris Bosh – Miami Heat: $17,545,000
- 11. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat: $17,182,000
- 12. Deron Williams – Brooklyn Nets: $17,177,795
- 13. Andrew Bynum – Philadelphia 76ers: $16,889,000
- 14. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics: $16,790,345
- 15. Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder: $16,669,630
- 16. Zach Randolph – Memphis Grizzlies: $16,500,000
- 17. Rudy Gay – Toronto Raptors: $16,460,538
- 18. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls: $16,402,552
- 19. Al Jefferson – Utah Jazz: $15,000,000
- 20. Carlos Boozer – Chicago Bulls: $15,000,000
- 21. Andre Iguodala – Denver Nuggets: $14,968,250
- 22. Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs: $14,107,492
- 23. Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies: $13,891,359
- 24. Brook Lopez – Brooklyn Nets: $13,668,750
- 25. Kevin Love – Minnesota Timberwolves: $13,668,750
- 26. Roy Hibbert – Indiana Pacers: $13,668,750
- 27. Eric Gordon – New Orleans Pelicans: $13,668,750
- 28. Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder: $13,668,750
- 29. Tyson Chandler – New York Knicks: $13,604,188
- 30. LaMarcus Aldridge – Portland Trail Blazers: $13,500,000
- 31. Emeka Okafor – Washington Wizards: $13,490,000
- 32. Luol Deng – Chicago Bulls: $13,305,000
- 33. Josh Smith – Atlanta Hawks: $13,200,000
- 34. Danny Granger – Indiana Pacers: $13,058,606
- 35. Nene – Washington Wizards: $13,000,000
- 36. Andrew Bogut – Golden State Warriors: $13,000,000
- 37. David Lee – Golden State Warriors: $12,744,000
- 38. Tony Parker – San Antonio Spurs: $12,500,000
- 39. Kevin Martin – Oklahoma City Thunder: $12,439,675
- 40. Ben Gordon – Charlotte Bobcats: $12,400,000
- 41. Kris Humphries – Brooklyn Nets: $12,000,000
- 42. Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks: $12,000,000
- 43. Hedo Turkoglu – Orlando Magic: $11,815,850
- 44. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics: $11,566,265
- 45. Joakim Noah – Chicago Bulls: $11,300,000
- 46. Jose Calderon – Detroit Pistons: $11,046,591
- 47. Monta Ellis – Milwaukee Bucks: $11,000,000
- 48. Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics: $11,000,000
- 49. Corey Maggette – Detroit Pistons: $10,924,138
- 50. Nicolas Batum – Portland Trail Blazers: $10,825,000
