NBA players cock-a-hoop after TV deal sends wages soaring

new TV BREXIT deal and ina bumper America’s top basketball league have combined to see NBA teams flood the top of the rich list of best-paid sports teams in the world this year The Cleveland Cavaliers, home to NBA icon LeBron James, now have the highest salaries in global sport, with their stars earning an average of £6,545 ,934 for the 2016-17 season that began last month. that works out at £125,883 a week on avarage for each of the 15 players on their roster. James (right) is their top earner on £24.5m, while five of the team earn more than £7.9m.

The Brexit vote in late June caused the dollar to soar against the pound, meaning stars who are paid in US dollars are relatively much better off. But the NBA has had another massive boost this season thanks to a new nine-year £19bn TV deal, a 180 per cent increase on than the last one, signed in 2007.

This has raised average NBA salaries by £2m per man when the exchange rate benefits are also included.

The NBA were already the best paying sports league in the world. The 2015 global sports salaries survey showed average pay at £2.7m per man. That figure is now £4.8m, with the Cavaliers the richest.

Fourteen of the 20 best paying teams in global sport are NBA teams in the 2016 survey. Of the 449 NBA players on the 30 rosters, 109 of them, or almost a quarter, will earn £7.9m or more this season for playing. These sums do not include any off-court sponsorships or endorsements. The currency bounce for the dollar has also helped some MLB baseball teams climb past a variety of giant football rivals.

The New York Yankees are No2 in the list behind he Cavaliers, paying £5.8m per man on average, while the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers make the top 30.

The new World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs, are No44 on £3.9m per year on average. A year ago, there were eight football teams in the top 10. Now there are four.