Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has clinched a new five-year deal worth $201 million, the richest contract in NBA history, ESPN reported on Friday.
Curry, who recently helped the Warriors to their second NBA Finals crown in three years, is the first player to break the $200 million barrier, ESPN said, citing the player’s agent Jeff Austin.
News of the agreement wipes away any uncertainty concerning the future of Curry, who had been on a four-year contract worth a relatively modest $44 million until his new deal.
Despite being one of the league’s highest profile stars, Curry had languished way down the pecking order of the NBA’s best-paid players.
According to the basketball-reference.com website, Curry had been the 82nd best-paid player in the league, earning just over $12.1 million last season.
That figure is dwarfed by the league’s highest-earner, LeBron James, who stands to earn $33.3 million next season and $35.6 million in 2018-2019.
Curry’s existing contract had been agreed when there were still doubts about his long-term fitness, with the player thought to have issues concerning the durability of his ankles.
However, those doubts have been obliterated during a series of dazzling seasons for the Warriors that have helped him become a four-time All-Star.
He was named NBA Most Valuable Player during the Warriors’ championship winning run in 2014-2015 and the following season became the first player in history to win the award in a unanimous vote.
He averaged 25.3 points per game this regular season and has led the league in three-point field goals for five straight seasons. That remarkable run of scoring included 402 three-pointers in 2015-2016 – a single-season record. No other player had passed 300 threes in a season before Curry.