An untitled painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for $110.5 million at an auction earlier this week. How does that compare to NBA salaries?
The painting initially sold for $19,000 in 1984, a year in which Michael Jordan made $1 million with the Bulls.
For perspective, we compared the ridiculously high price tag to what some of the biggest stars of the 2017 postseason have made in their basketball salaries during their professional careers.
Of course, it’s worth noting many of these players have other income sources and endorsement deals. These numbers are based just on the money they’ve earned from NBA teams.
Russell Westbrook — $102.7 million
When his contract with the Thunder is over, Westbrook will have made $161.7 million. But for now, the Basquiat sale still has the NBA star beat.
James Harden — $85.6 million
adidas gave Harden a $200 million deal, though it pays over the course of 13 years. However, the art is still significantly more than what Harden has made for his performance on the court.
John Wall — $70.5 million
Even once his contract is up with the Wizards at the end of the 2019 season, Wall is still estimated to earn $107.8 million in total cash. He also does not currently have a shoe endorsement deal after stints with Reebok and adidas.
Stephen Curry — $56.1 million
The NBA champion and two-time MVP is set to make significantly more money, but his total earnings to date are still just 48.6 percent of how much the Basquiat painting sold for earlier this week.
Kawhi Leonard — $42 million
While Leonard is arguably one of the best players on the planet, five other players on the Spurs have collected more than he has during his career. He still has three years left on his contract with San Antonio.
Isaiah Thomas — $23.9 million
During his first three seasons, Thomas (who was the last overall pick in his draft class) made a little over $2 million. But his contract expires after next season and he will be up for a big raise.
All salaries are estimated based on numbers collected from Spotrac.
