Category: Finance | Title: Average NBA Salary 1970 | Tag: NBA Salary History | Meta Description: What was the average NBA salary in 1970, how did it compare to today, and what drove the change? ...
Average NBA Salary in 1970: Key Figures
In the 1969–70 NBA season, the average player salary was approximately $35,000, equivalent to roughly $280,000 in 2024 dollars after adjusting for inflation. The league had 17 teams, and total payrolls were far smaller than today, with top stars earning a few hundred thousand dollars per year while most role players stayed near the league minimum. Forbes NBA salary history tracks these early baselines and shows how quickly compensation grew in later decades.
By comparison, the 2023–24 average NBA salary exceeded $10 million, driven by massive media deals and salary-cap growth. The gap between the average 1970 salary and today's pay illustrates how league revenue, television contracts, and global fan engagement transformed player compensation within a single generation.
Context and Comparison Across Eras
In 1970, the NBA was a smaller, regional product with limited national television coverage, and many players held offseason jobs to supplement their income. The league's total revenue was a fraction of today's figure, so even top earners like Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made modest sums relative to modern superstars.
Today, the NBA's media rights deals with networks and streaming platforms generate billions annually, and the salary cap and luxury-tax system redistribute revenue more evenly across franchises. This structure keeps the average NBA salary high while still allowing teams to build competitive rosters within a hard cap.
What Drove the Rise in NBA Pay
Key drivers of higher average salaries include the 1976 ABA–NBA merger, which expanded the league and brought in new talent, followed by landmark television contracts in the 1980s and 1990s that dramatically increased the league's revenue base. The introduction of guaranteed contracts and strong collective bargaining agreements further raised the floor for player pay.
Globalization, social media, and merchandise sales have added new revenue streams, and teams now operate as multi-billion-dollar businesses with diversified income. SEC filings for publicly traded sports and media companies show how NBA-related revenue flows into broader corporate structures, supporting the high compensation levels seen today.