Hi there! I'm a huge basketball fan, and I've been following the NBA for over 20 years. I eat, sleep, and breathe basketball, and I love keeping up with all the latest news, stats, and players. When it comes to the NBA and its history, I'm your guy!

You want to know about the highest-paid player in the NBA back in 2016? That's a great question! It's not as simple as just looking at the highest base salary. To give you a complete picture, we need to consider a few factors:

* Base Salary: This is the guaranteed money a player receives from their team, outlined in their contract.
* Endorsements: NBA stars are global icons, and companies are eager to sign them for shoe deals, commercials, and other marketing opportunities. These endorsements can add significantly to a player's income.
* Other Incentives: Some contracts include bonuses for reaching specific performance milestones, like making the All-Star team or winning a championship.

Now, back to 2016. While LeBron James was widely considered the best player at that time, the title of highest-paid (considering both salary and endorsements) belonged to Kobe Bryant.

Here's a closer look:

* Kobe Bryant: Kobe was in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his base salary was a whopping $25 million, the highest in the league. This was a testament to his legendary career and immense value to the Lakers. On top of that, Kobe had a massive portfolio of endorsements with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Panini, estimated to be worth around $26 million. This brought his total earnings for 2016 to an estimated $51 million.

While LeBron James might not have taken the top spot in earnings that year, he was no slouch! He earned an estimated $23 million in salary and an additional $32 million from endorsements.

It's important to remember that things change rapidly in the NBA. New contracts are signed, endorsement deals are made, and players rise and fall in popularity. What was true in 2016 might not be the case today.

I hope this gives you a clear picture of the highest-paid NBA players in 2016! Let me know if you have any other burning basketball questions.

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2015�C2016PlayerSalaryTeamKobe Bryant$25,000,000Los Angeles LakersLeBron James$22,970,500Cleveland CavaliersCarmelo Anthony$22,875,000New York KnicksDwight Howard$22,359,364Houston Rockets6 more rowsread more >>