What NBA Player Makes The Most On Instagram?

  • Lebron James, Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook are the top three most influential NBA players on social media 
  • Lebron could earn a massive $310,673 per sponsored post on his Instagram  
  • Kevin Durant, Giannis, and Chris Paul are also among the top social media earners 

New research shows that some of the most famous NBA stars could be earning big from their social media posts. 

The study, conducted by odds comparison experts Sidelines.io, analyzed the Instagram follower counts and engagement rates of the biggest NBA stars to see who could be earning the most per sponsored post. The engagement rate refers to the percentage of a person’s followers that actively interact with their social media posts.  

Lebron James was the biggest earner on the list due to his huge 117 million followers on Instagram, which, combined with his 1.4% engagement rate, means that he could be earning around $310,673 for every sponsored post on the platform.

Lebron’s follower count is more than double anyone else on the list, highlighting his global influence, as well as each one of his posts on the platform averaging more than two million likes. 

Next on the list is Steph Curry, with 41,214,879 followers and an engagement rate of 1.42%, meaning he could earn around $109,212 per sponsored Instagram post.

Curry’s brand partnership page with Under Armour has also seen some influence on the social media platform, with the Curry Brand page amassing more than 318,000 followers since its introduction in late 2020. 

RankPlayerInstagram FollowersTwitter followersInstagram Engagement rate (%)Potential earnings per Instagram post
1Lebron James117,644,92552,250,7921.40$310,673
2Steph Curry41,214,87917,033,2471.42$109,212
3Russell Westbrook19,340,8006,935,3180.93$51,251
4Kyrie Irving15,589,6544,573,3371.34$42,907
5Lonzo Ball11,959,4101,337,9753.53$34,780
6Kevin Durant12,536,48120,507,5025.04$33,967
7Giannis Antetokounmpo11,147,4942,635,4413.01$32,807
8James Harden11,614,8007,698,4802.01$31,041
9Klay Thompson10,582,1351,820,5042.52$30,919
10Chris Paul10,776,3258,507,1680.32$29,432

Russell Westbrook comes in third place on the list, with a follower count of 19,340,800 and an engagement rate of 0.93%, meaning he could receive around $51,251 for every sponsored Instagram post. His page also amasses an average of 180,000 likes per post. 

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant also makes the top ten, placing in sixth. His 12,536,481 followers and 5.04% engagement rate mean he could be earning around $33,967 for every sponsored Instagram post. KD also has the highest engagement rate on the list with 5.04% and is known for his frequent social media use among other NBA stars

Sitting just behind in seventh place is Giannis Antetokounmpo, with 11,147,494 followers and a 3.01% engagement rate meaning the Greek star could see earnings of around $32,807 for every sponsored Instagram post. 

Chris Paul makes the top ten, coming in tenth place. With a follower count of 10,776,325 and despite having the lowest engagement rate in the top ten with 0.32%, he could still be earning around $29,432 for every sponsored post on his Instagram. 

In the top ten, the Lakers have two entries with Westbrook and Lebron, the Golden State Warriors have two with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry and the Nets have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. 

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from Sidelines.io said: “It’s fascinating to see the appeal and influence of some of the league’s top players, and the fact they could be making big bucks off the court as well as on it.

With Lebron becoming the first NBA player to reach 100 million followers late last year, it highlights the potential for further global outreach of the NBA with many of his followers being across the globe.” 

Rank Player Followers Engagement rate (%) Median earnings per post 
 Lebron James 117,644,925  1.40 $310,673  
 Steph Curry 41,214,879  1.42 $109,212  
 Russell Westbrook 19,340,800  0.93 $51,251  
 Kyrie Irving 15,589,654  1.34 $42,907  
 Lonzo Ball 13,959,410  3.53 $34,780  
 Kevin Durant 12,536,481  5.04 $33,967  
 Giannis Antetokounmpo 11,147,494  3.01 $32,807  
 James Harden 11,614,800  2.01 $31,041  
 Klay Thompson 10,582,135  2.52 $30,919  
10  Chris Paul 10,776,325  0.32 $29,432  
11  Damian Lillard 9,412,185  0.78 $24,977  
12  Paul George 9,343,281  0.73 $24,753  
13  LaMelo Ball 8,411,810  7.52 $22,235  
14  Carmelo Anthony 7,753,601  0.72 $20,752  
15  Anthony Davis 7,076,396  5.36 $18,756  
16  Jimmy Butler 6,691,389  0.31 $17,731  
17  Luka Doncic 6,252,546  4.10 $17,255  
18  Ben Simmons 6,159,064  4.75 $16,309  
19  Ja Morant 4,395,859  9.56 $15,840  
20  Joel Embiid 5,519,017  3.38 $14,603  
21  Markelle Fultz 5,518,866  0.45 $14,591  
22  Devin Booker 5,139,969  9.55 $13,629  
23  Kyle Kuzma 4,895,458  1.11 $12,971  
24  Zion Williamson 4,882,756  5.52 $12,943  
25  John Wall 4,374,801  0.88 $11,589  
26  Trae Young 4,246,027  2.71 $11,233  
27  Tristan Thompson 3,477,387  1.30 $9,636  
28  Draymond Green 3,444,760  0.39 $9,462  
29  D’Angelo Russell 3,554,969  2.20 $9,455  
30  Karl Anthony-Towns 3,228,123  0.81 $9,309