The highest-paid players from each country in NBA history

With how much money is going to player salaries at the moment, records are being set seemingly every season for his biggest contract by total money or the highest single-year salary.

We decided to take a look at the financial boon for NBA players in another manner, by determining who are the highest-paid players from each country.

No surprise for the American NBA player with the most money earned, as it’s LeBron James, who passed Kevin Garnett for the distinction last season. China’s is pretty easy to guess, too, as Yao Ming was an All-Star every year of his career and was paid as such.

Below, check out the full list of the highest-paid NBA players from each country (including this season’s salaries).

🇺🇸 United States: LeBron James

Career earnings: $390,511,090 in 19 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $423,075,248
Highest salary: $41,180,544 in 2021-22 (5th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Kevin Garnett ($343,862,398 in 21 seasons)

🇦🇷 Argentina: Manu Ginobili

Career earnings: $129,539,615 in 16 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $152,176,993
Highest salary: $14,107,492 in 2012-13 (27th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Luis Scola ($47,153,438 in 10 seasons)

🇦🇺 Australia: Andrew Bogut

Career earnings: $118,591,363 in 14 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $135,224,207
Highest salary: $14,200,000 in 2013-14 (31st in the NBA)
Runner-up: Ben Simmons ($90,183,585 in five seasons)

🇧🇸 Bahamas: Buddy Hield

Career earnings: $63,905,424 in six seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $64,462,723
Highest salary: $24,931,817 in 2020-21 (46th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Deandre Ayton ($40,389,910 in four seasons)

🇧🇦 Bosnia: Jusuf Nurkic

Career earnings: $56,473,304 in eight seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $57,386,914
Highest salary: $12,888,889 in 2020-21 (95th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Mirza Teletovic ($46,687,150 in six seasons)

🇧🇷 Brazil: Nenê

Career earnings: $132,775,609 in 17 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $153,760,318
Highest salary: $13,000,000 in 2011-12 (34th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Anderson Varejao ($85,474,644 in 14 seasons)

🇨🇲 Cameroon: Joel Embiid

Career earnings: $134,074,306 in six seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $136,227,558
Highest salary: $31,579,390 in 2021-22 (27th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Pascal Siakam ($69,968,576 in six seasons)

🇨🇦 Canada: Steve Nash

Career earnings: $146,936,620 in 18 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $184,964,183
Highest salary: $13,125,000 in 2009-10 (33rd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Andrew Wiggins ($138,943,522 in eight seasons)

🇨🇳 China: Yao Ming

Career earnings: $93,390,336 in eight seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $115,897,334
Highest salary: $17,686,100 in 2010-11 (9th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Yi Jianlian ($14,085,936 in five seasons)

🇭🇷 Croatia: Bojan Bogdanovic

Career earnings: $84,826,530 in eight seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $86,520,101
Highest salary: $17,850,000 in 2020-21 (61st in the NBA)
Runner-up: Toni Kukoc ($61,488,033 in 13 seasons)

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: Tomas Satoransky

Career earnings: $39,000,000 in six seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $39,493,830
Highest salary: $10,000,000 in 2019-20 (118th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Jan Vesely ($9,884,880 in three seasons)

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic: Al Horford

Career earnings: $243,228,232 in 15 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $257,197,019
Highest salary: $28,928,710 in 2018-19 (13th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Charlie Villanueva ($51,577,806 in 11 seasons)

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Dikembe Mutombo

Career earnings: $143,666,581 in 18 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $215,326,561
Highest salary: $16,105,264 in 2002-03 (8th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Bismack Biyombo ($87,424,093 in 10 seasons)

🇫🇷 France: Tony Parker

Career earnings: $168,282,460 in 18 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $193,278,833
Highest salary: $15,453,126 in 2017-18 (73rd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Nicolas Batum ($168,137,820 in 14 seasons)

🇬🇪 Georgia: Zaza Pachulia

Career earnings: $60,356,464 in 16 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $69,621,844
Highest salary: $5,248,750 in 2012-13 (132nd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Nikoloz Tskitishvili ($8,907,528 in four seasons)

🇩🇪 Germany: Dirk Nowitzki

Career earnings: $255,371,800 in 21 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $306,162,830
Highest salary: $25,000,000 in 2016-17 (8th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Dennis Schroeder ($75,670,502 in nine seasons)

🇬🇧 Great Britain: Luol Deng

Career earnings: $163,520,376 in 15 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $181,429,872
Highest salary: $17,190,000 in 2017-18 (57th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Ben Gordon ($84,617,019 in 11 seasons)

🇬🇷 Greece: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Career earnings: $147,960,040 in nine seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $150,566,608
Highest salary: $39,344,900 in 2021-22 (2nd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Kosta Koufos ($47,778,792 in 11 seasons)

🇮🇱 Israel: Omri Casspi

Career earnings: $18,320,477 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $20,042,218
Highest salary: $2,963,814 in 2016-17 (267th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Deni Avdija ($9,162,000 in one season)

🇮🇹 Italy: Danilo Gallinari

Career earnings: $177,685,814 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $186,999,694
Highest salary: $22,615,559 in 2019-20 (48th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Andrea Bargnani ($73,156,908 in 10 seasons)

🇯🇵 Japan: Rui Hachimura

Career earnings: $14,078,160 in four seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $14,107,018
Highest salary: $4,916,160 in 2021-22 (219th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Yuta Watanabe ($894,814 in three XX seasons)

🇱🇻 Latvia: Kristaps Porzingis

Career earnings: $107,053,494 in six seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $108,229,397
Highest salary: $31,650,600 in 2021-22 (24th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Andris Biedrins ($62,208,776 in 10 seasons)

🇱🇹 Lithuania: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Career earnings: $125,423,723 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $170,248,603
Highest salary: $13,500,000 in 2003-04 (8th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Jonas Valanciunas ($106,621,946 in 10 seasons)

🇲🇽 Mexico: Eduardo Najera

Career earnings: $36,882,819 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $47,217,723
Highest salary: $4,952,380 in 2007-08 (151st in the NBA)
Runner-up: Gustavo Ayon ($4,567,500 in three seasons)

🇲🇪 Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic

Career earnings: $134,209,237 in 11 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $137,933,217
Highest salary: $26,000,000 in 2020-21 (44th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Nikola Pekovic ($73,143,600 in six seasons)

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Rik Smits (Since 1990)

Career earnings: $42,950,000 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $70,837,550
Highest salary: $12,250,000 in 1999-00 (11th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Dan Gadzuric ($37,609,158 in 10 seasons)

🇳🇬 Nigeria: Hakeem Olajuwon (Since 1990)

Career earnings: $102,998,594 in 18 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $164,109,279
Highest salary: $16,700,000 in 2000-01 (5th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Al-Farouq Aminu ($72,110,464 in 11 seasons)

🇵🇱 Poland: Marcin Gortat

Career earnings: $95,091,880 in 12 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $103,853,264
Highest salary: $13,565,218 in 2018-19 (91st in the NBA)
Runner-up: Cezary Trybanski ($4,800,000 in two seasons)

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico: Jose Juan Barea

Career earnings: $46,505,958 in 14 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $50,767,935
Highest salary: $4,687,000 in 2013-14 (154th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Carlos Arroyo ($20,209,555 in nine seasons)

🇷🇺 Russia: Andrei Kirilenko

Career earnings: $107,735,998 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $130,977,732
Highest salary: $17,823,000 in 2010-11 (6th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Timofey Mozgov ($82,132,279 in eight seasons)

🇸🇳 Senegal: Gorgui Dieng

Career earnings: $73,689,390 in nine seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $75,421,689
Highest salary: $16,587,688 in 2020-21 (71st in the NBA)
Runner-up: DeSagana Diop ($47,024,084 in 12 seasons)

🇷🇸 Serbia: Nikola Jokic

Career earnings: $118,223,162 in seven seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $119,263,835
Highest salary: $31,579,390 in 2021-22 (27th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Predrag Stojakovic ($97,956,720 in 13 seasons)

🇸🇮 Slovenia: Goran Dragic

Career earnings: $152,558,250 in 13 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $159,923,337
Highest salary: $19,440,000 in 2021-22 (60th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Radoslav Nesterovic ($51,102,151 in 12 seasons)

🇸🇸 South Sudan: Manute Bol (Since 1990)

Career earnings: $5,150,000 in 10 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $9,681,772
Highest salary: $1,650,000 in 1992-93 (92nd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Bol Bol ($4,298,960 in three seasons)

🇪🇸 Spain: Pau Gasol

Career earnings: $219,784,441 in 18 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $254,950,452
Highest salary: $19,285,850 in 2013-14 (8th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Marc Gasol ($185,786,591 in 13 seasons)

🇹🇷 Turkey: Enes Kanter

Career earnings: $102,454,224 in 11 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $108,498,127
Highest salary: $18,622,514 in 2018-19 (56th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Hidayet Turkoglu ($85,208,250 in 15 seasons)

🇺🇦 Ukraine: Vitaly Potapenko

Career earnings: $40,637,644 in 11 seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $58,083,170
Highest salary: $6,191,250 in 2004-05 (87th in the NBA)
Runner-up: Alex Len ($36,173,628 in nine seasons)

🇻🇪 Venezuela: Greivis Vasquez

Career earnings: $22,838,814 in seven seasons
Adjusted to inflation: $24,912,017
Highest salary: $6,600,000 in 2015-16 (122nd in the NBA)
Runner-up: Carl Herrera ($10,887,500 in eight seasons)

Rest of countries

🇦🇴Angola: Bruno Fernando ($4,700,602)
🇦🇬Antigua and Barbuda: Julius Hodge ($2,383,560)
🇧🇪Belgium: Didier Ilunga-Mbenga ($10,673,747)
🇧🇿Belize: Milt Palacio ($4,955,069)
🇩🇲Dominica: Garth Joseph ($316,969)
🇪🇬Egypt: Abdel Nader ($7,917,045)
🇪🇪Estonia: Martin Muursepp ($1,839,320)
🇫🇮Finland: Lauri Markkanen ($36,080,577)
🇬🇦Gabon: Chris Silva ($3,654,077)
🇬🇭Ghana: Ben Bentil ($281,968)
🇬🇳Guinea: Mamadi Diakite ($629,341)
🇬🇾Guyana: Rawle Marshall ($1,062,971)

🇭🇹Haiti: Olden Polynice ($20,490,000)
🇭🇺Hungary: Kornel David ($988,941)
🇮🇷Iran: Hamed Haddadi ($7,600,000)
🇮🇪Ireland: Marty Conlon ($4,381,088)
🇲🇰North Macedonia: Pero Antic ($2,450,000)
🇲🇱Mali: Cheick Diallo ($5,079,887)

🇳🇿New Zealand: Steven Adams ($128,833,175)
🇵🇦Panama: Gary Forbes ($3,473,604)
🇵🇹Portugal: Neemias Queta ($462,629)
🇷🇴Romania: Gheorghe Muresan ($8,848,500)
🇸🇰Slovakia: Richard Petruska ($205,000)
🇰🇷South Korea: Ha Seung-Jin ($1,386,299)
🇻🇨Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Adonal Foyle ($63,361,840)
🇸🇪Sweden: Jonas Jerebko ($35,385,264)
🇨🇭Switzerland: Clint Capela ($75,355,792)
🇹🇿Tanzania: Hasheem Thabeet ($16,464,960)
🇹🇹Trinidad and Tobago: Johnny Hamilton ($925,258)
🇹🇳Tunisia: Salah Mejri ($4,969,307)
🇺🇾Uruguay: Esteban Batista ($1,062,971)

Main picture credit: Coley Cleary / USA TODAY Sports Media Group illustration

1

1