Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks may have fallen short of reaching the NBA Finals this year. However, the star power forward still found a way to come out on top by answering the Memphis rap legend Gangsta Boo’s iconic question, “Where Dem Dollas At?”
Antetokounmpo once held the league’s largest contract for a player in league history. Known as the “Greek Freak,” he signed a $228 million supermax extension deal over five years.
Extension Deals Make The Difference
According to salary data from Sportstrac, the Greece native earned a $39 million salary during the most recent season. Per his contract, he is set to make $42 million in season 2022-2023 and $52 million in the final season of his current contract.
His current salary is far more extensive than his initial entry into the NBA. Antetokounmpo’s contract out of the 2013 NBA draft at No. 15 only paid him $8.6 million over three years as a rookie.
Although his contract is one to admire, Denver Nuggets two-time MVP Nikola Jokic agreed to the now largest deal in NBA history during the recent free agency flurry.
His current contract is for $270 over five years.
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Salary Competition At The Top
While Antetokounmpo held the biggest contract in the NBA prior to Jokic’s contract extension, Steph Curry is still the highest-paid player in the league.
The Golden State Warriors point guard made about $45.7 million in the 2021-2022 season. Recently, the top-ranked three-point shooter signed a contract extension with the Warriors for $215 million over four years. By the end of his contract, he will earn an average salary of nearly $60 million.
Finding His Way To The Top
Curry’s salary numbers have not hindered Antetokounmpo’s earning potential. In addition to his massive basketball contract, Antetokounmpo continues to expand his earnings. Recently, the superstar unveiled the design for his latest shoe, the Nike Zoom Freak 4.
According to a 2019 Forbes report, Antetokounmpo earned $10 million per year from his sneaker deal with Nike. In 2022, Forbes ranked the Buck’s forward No. 10 on their list of highest-paid athletes, noting on and off-court total income of around $80.9 million.