The NBA has more than 120 players who earn more than $10 million a year this season, including 22 players who earn more than $20 million but less than $30 million, 25 players who earn more than $30 million but less than $40 million a year, 6 players who earn more than $40 million a year, and Curry, who earns $45.78 million a year, which was unimaginable in the 80s of the last century, when there were very few players with an annual salary of more than $10 million.
The first player to earn more than $10 million a year
The first player to receive a 10 million annual salary was not Michael Jordan, but Patrick Ewing. In 1985, Ewing was selected by the Knicks with the first pick in the first round, and the Knicks in New York were rich and generous to their stars, which also made Ewing the first player to earn more than 10 million a year.
In the summer of 1995, Ewing and the Knicks signed a two-year, $21.72 million contract extension that stipulated that Ewing's annual salary for the 1995-1996 season was as high as $18.72 million, but his annual salary in the 1996-1997 season was only $3 million, such a huge gap caused by the Knicks' pursuit of Jordan in order to have salary space.
Jordan's contract will expire in the summer of 1996, the Knicks want to form a super luxury lineup of Ewing + Jordan, in the 1995-1996 season, Jordan and the Bulls still have a one-year contract, so the Knicks gave Ewing an annual salary of up to $18.72 million, and then Ewing's annual salary was reduced to $3 million, in fact, his average annual salary in both seasons was more than $10 million, he did not suffer losses, and he could also free up salary space to sign Jordan in the second season, he could get money. And can team up with Jordan to chase the championship, the Knicks both appeased Ewing, and have salary space to sign Jordan, this contract extension for Ewing and the Knicks are two birds with one stone.
In the summer of 1996, Jordan, who had already led the Bulls to four championships, tested the free market, and the Knicks gave Jordan a very tempting chip. According to rumors, the Knicks boss gave Jordan a blank check at that time, and Jordan wanted how much money to fill in himself, and the authenticity of this rumor has yet to be verified.
The second plan is that Knicks provide Jordan with a contract with an annual salary of 12-15 million, plus a commercial endorsement contract of $15 million per year, which together ensure that Jordan earns about $30 million a year.
At that time, the Bulls did not think of giving Jordan an annual salary of more than $30 million, they would provide Jordan with an annual salary of more than 20 million, did not think of giving so much, but by the Knicks, they had to come up with a more generous contract than the Knicks in order to keep Jordan's cash cow, and finally the Bulls gave Jordan a 1+1 contract, the first season annual salary of $30.14 million, the second season of $33.14 million.
After not getting Jordan, the Knicks gave Ewing a big contract in the summer of 1997, signing a four-year, $68 million contract, the highest annual salary of $20.5 million for one season, and although Ewing did not win the championship, the total salary of his career was as high as $121.9 million, which was also a life winner.
How much did other superstars take at the time?
To know what level Ewing earned $18.72 million in 1995-1996, look at the annual salaries of other superstars at the time.
At that time, Jordan's annual salary was $3.85 million, Olajuwon's was $5.31 million, O'Neill's was $5.7 million, David Robinson's was $7.3 million, Barkley's was $4.76 million, and Karl Malone's was $3.68 million...
It can be found that even robinson, who has the highest annual salary, has an annual salary of nearly $10 million less than Ewing, who at that time was more than three times the annual salary of Olajuwon, and more than five times that of Jordan, Carl Malone and others, and it is conceivable how sensational his annual salary of $18.72 million was at that time.
How much does $18.72 million equate to today?
In the 1995-1996 season, the NBA's pay cap was $23 million, and Ewing's salary was 81 percent of the pay cap. The NBA's salary cap this season is $112.4 million, and 81% of the salary cap is $91.04 million. Curry, curry, who has the highest annual salary this season, is $45.78 million, less than half of $91.04 million, just imagine how shocking it would be if there was a player who now makes as much as $91.04 million a year.
Ewing had bad luck in his basketball career, leading the team to the finals in the 1993-1994 season, playing seven games but losing to Olajuwon and missing the championship. In the 1998-1999 season, the Knicks reached the Finals again, but Ewing was unable to play because of a knee injury, and the Knicks eventually lost to the Spurs, and he once again rubbed shoulders with the championship.
Ewing's career statistics are the worst of the four centers, the achievement is also the lowest of the four centers, and the only one of the four centers who has not won a championship, but he is also lucky to be selected by the Knicks, at least let him make a lot of money, so that he and his descendants can live a good life, which is not a success.