LeBron James, forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been named the highest-paid NBA player of 2024, with a $128.7 million contract, according to an Oct. 21 report from Forbes.
Forbes named the 10 highest-paid players by calculating on-court earnings for the 2024 to 2025 season including base salaries and bonuses, and off-court income including endorsements and licensing. Incentives based on individual or team performance were not included.
Here are the head orthopedic physicians of the teams the highest-paid stars play for:
1. LeBron James, $128.7 million, plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are cared for by head team physician and director of orthopedic surgery Kristofer Jones, MD. Dr. Jones is an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles-based UCLA Health specializing in sports-related musculoskeletal injuries.
2. Stephen Curry, $105.8 million, plays for the Golden State Warriors, who are cared for by lead orthopedic surgeon Chris Lehman, MD, an orthopedic specialist at the Permanente Medical Group in Oakland, Calif.
3. Kevin Durant, $99.9 million, plays for the Phoenix Suns, who are cared for by team physician Steven Erickson, MD. Dr. Erickson is the director of the division of sports medicine/concussion at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, medical director for Banner Sports Medicine and Concussion Specialists, primary care chief of the Banner – UMC Phoenix Sports Medicine Center and program director for the College of Medicine – Phoenix's Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, $93.8 million, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, who are cared for by head team physician William Raasch, MD, a sports medicine specialist at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
5. Damian Lillard, $64.8 million, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
6. Joel Embiid, $61.4 million, plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, who are cared for by a team of orthopedic surgeons at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.
7. Jimmy Butler, $58.8 million, plays for the Miami Heat, who are cared for by head team physician F. Harlan Selesnick, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care in Coral Gables, Fla. He has been the team's physician since 1988.
8. Devin Booker, $58.2 million, plays for the Phoenix Suns.
9. Luka Doncic, $58 million, plays for the Dallas Mavericks, who are cared for by Daniel Worrel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Carrell Clinic. Dr. Worrel has a special interest in treating disorders of the elbow and performs minimally invasive repairs of bicep ruptures, as well as arthroscopic treatment of degenerative, stiff or traumatized elbows. He also performs ligament reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow and knee
10. Bradley Beal, $57.7 million, plays for the Phoenix Suns.