Enjoy this hilarious fact while you can since it’s likely to be outdated in a couple of years when LeBron James’ two year deal with Cleveland is up, but for now Joe Johnson is the most well-paid pro basketball player in the NBA.
Yes, Joe Johnson.
Sports Illustrated examined the NBA’s top salaries with the help of Robert Raiola, a tax strategist who works as a sports and entertainment senior group manager. And while Kobe Bryant may command the highest salary, Joe Johnson takes home the most amount of money once taxes are taken into account.
At first blush, this may seem like a bit of an overpay for Johnson, a fine player who puts up pretty great numbers. However, when one considers that the team he plays for is owned by a Russian oligarch who has stated that it’s “no big deal” that the Nets’ basketball operations department lost $144 million last year, Johnson’s contract suddenly doesn’t seem that outlandish given the circumstances.
