After being selected by the Hornets (now Pelicans) with the fourth overall pick in the first round of 2005, Chris Paul has played in the NBA for 13 seasons and is now starting his 14th season. Many players from 2005 have left the NBA, such as No. 1 pick Bogut, Paul's old rival Deron and former Lakers champion center Bynum, as well as familiar players such as Nate Robinson, David Lee and Ellis. He has left the NBA, but Paul only signed a four-year, $160 million contract this summer.

Paul may not be the most successful player in the 2005 class, but he will be the most profitable and can be called a money-making machine. So how much money did Paul make in the NBA? Even though he hasn't won a championship yet, he has only made it to the Western Conference Finals, including the sky-high contract the Rockets signed for him. Paul has already earned US$345 million in the NBA, and by the 21-22 season, Paul will receive another US$44.21 million.

At that time, Paul would play in the NBA for 17 seasons. After the end of his rookie contract, Paul's annual salary was no less than 10 million. When he came to the Rockets, he was at the peak of his life, with an average annual salary of 4,000. million dollars. What is $345 million? Even better than Kobe, Duncan and Garnett cannot reach this level. Kobe earned US$328 million in 20 years of career, Duncan earned US$245 million in 2019, and Garnett earned US$344 million in 21, which is still not as good as Paul.

These three hold multiple championship rings and are all Hall of Fame figures, but none of them make as much money in the NBA as Paul. Not to mention these three people, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady combined are not as good as Paul. Yao Ming earned US$93.39 million in his career, while Tracy McGrady earned US$163 million. The two of them combined earned more than 200 million, which is completely incomparable to Paul.

Of course, different eras have different prices. Now the salaries in the NBA are rising, and these players can still get big contracts now. It's just that each of them has played in the NBA longer than Paul. For example, Kobe's 20 seasons are not as good as Paul's 17 seasons. This is inevitably a huge difference. The number of championships Paul has won cannot be compared with these seniors, but when it comes to earning power, these seniors can only be convinced.