Home

Olympics

Lakers’ Billion Dollar Roster 50 Percent Richer Than Kevin Durant-Led Olympics USA Team

Published 09/14/2021, 2:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

USA Today via Reuters

Team USA won the gold medal in the men’s basketball competitions at Tokyo Olympics 2020. Kevin Durant and other talented players took home the gold medal in a sensational contest. With many accomplished players on the roster, fans would consider the career earnings of those players to be spectacular. In the meantime, Spotrac did a comparison between the career earnings of the current Lakers and the current US Men’s Olympic basketball team. The results are eye-catching, to say the least!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Los Angeles Lakers have an all-star team

Spotrac is a famous company that analyzes player contracts, team wage budgets, and other queries related to the financial aspect of the game. Thus, they released the total career earning of the current Lakers roster which is much higher than the present US Men’s basketball team.

With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony, their current career earnings total up to $1,160,287,892. Unsurprisingly, James is the highest earner amongst the group with earnings of around $346,203,575. Moreover, there are seven players above the $100 million mark, including James while four of them are above the $240 million mark. That is staggering. The amount of money involved is unconscionable.

via Reuters

While comparing that roster to the current US Olympic team, only five players earn more than $100 million in their respective careers. KD is the highest earner amongst the group with a grand sum of $264,153,846. Notably, he is the only player that has crossed the $200 million mark. The total earnings come up to $1,081,882,007.

This proves the current star-studded lineup of the Lakers franchise. With all the talent they have on their roster, can they win the NBA title, yet again?

“Maybe I Destroyed the Game”: Michael Jordan and His Powerful Message That Still Moves NBA Fans

An All-star team with legends!!!

Even though things did not work out well for them last season, they are back with a bang. Having signed Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, and Dwight Howard, they have an incredible roster on paper. The stat by Spotrac makes sense. LeBron’s plying his trade in the league for over 18 years. His total earnings are predictable considering his remarkable career.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The next on that list is Carmelo Anthony. His arrival in Los Angeles is key to their success for this season. LeBron, Westbrook, and Davis are dominant inside the paint. But in terms of pure scoring ability, Anthony is a legend. Having been the NBA scoring champion in 2013 and a 10-time all-star, Anthony will be the difference for the Lakers, this year.

USA Today via Reuters

In addition to Carmelo, Westbrook ranks third on the list with $244,370,524. Despite not having won an NBA title, Westbrook is a legend in the NBA. He leads the list in most triple-doubles made after passing the legendary Oscar Robertson. As for Dwight Howard, he has been an entertainer in the league for a long time with his incredible dunking ability.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The career earnings of these players are unreal. But, it only happened because of their hard work and passion for the game. However, the pressure is on the Lakers to win the title. Can Westbrook and Anthony land their first NBA title or will it prove to be a bust for the Los Angeles Lakers?

WATCH THIS STORY- Michael Jordan’s Rare Heated Moments with Reggie Miller, Danny Ainge and Others

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Jacob Gijy

1,956Articles

One take at a time

Jacob Gijy is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Gijy finished his Masters in Counselling Psychology and worked in a hospital for 2 years before his passion for sports compelled him to find his way to sports journalism. A fan of the great Tim Duncan, he is always ready to pick up a debate with anyone who does not offer the centre the respect he deserves.
Show More>