With football and basketball on hiatus, LeBron James' free agency has been one of the biggest storylines in sports. After weeks of speculation, James finally ended the suspense on Friday by signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
No, that's not a typo. James took a pay cut to sign with Philly, later announcing on X that he believes he can "help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team." That's enough to make any Dallas Cowboys fan sick -- assuming you share a disdain for all Philly sports -- but it's hard to argue the NBA won't be better for it.
Even at 41 years old, it's pretty wild that James is making the kind of money typically reserved for NFL backups and rotational players. In Dallas, backup offensive lineman T.J. Bass will pocket $5.76 million this season on the second-round tender, giving him bragging rights over maybe the greatest basketball player to ever walk the earth.
Sure, it took James chasing one last ring in what's expected to be his final season, but T.J. Bass can officially say he's making more money than LeBron James.
BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ALOlTkgdAV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 24, 2026
Cowboys' backup guard T.J. Bass will make more than LeBron James this season
The term "backup" inherently has negative connotations, but Bass is as valuable as any second-string offensive lineman in football.
A former undrafted free agent, Bass has appeared in 48 of a possible 51 regular-season games since he joined the Cowboys, including 10 starts. He's seen work at both guard spots, logging 490 snaps at left guard and 515 snaps on the right side, per Pro Football Focus.
On top of being Dallas' premier insurance behind Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker, Bass is also expected to operate as the backup center now that veteran Matt Hennessy will miss the season with a neck injury. It's hard to get more valuable than being trusted at three different positions.
The Cowboys would be smart to extend Bass after the season. And yet, there is something so ironic about a player who can't crack Dallas' starting lineup making more than LeBron freaking James. Here's a list of just some of the NBA records James has to his name:
- NBA’s all-time leading scorerÂ
- Most All-NBA selections Â
- Most playoff points
- Only player to score 40 or more points against all 30 NBA teamsÂ
- Most minutes playedÂ
- Most games played
And yet, after more than two decades of rewriting the NBA record books, James is making less this season than a backup offensive lineman in Dallas. It's one of the strangest salary quirks you'll ever see.
Add us as a preferred source on Google