In a league where star power has a huge impact on the outcome, the money is distributed more evenly among players than you might think.
Over the past 20 years, All-Star players (about 5% of players who play in an NBA season) have received only 16.59% of the league’s total pay. For All-NBA players (15 players per year), that figure is 10.37%.
But which teams spend the most on star players?
We wanted to focus on the NBA All-NBA player selections over the last 20 years (there are 30 teams in the league).
Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Lakers ranked first, spending $792.7 million on All-NBA players, or 30.61% of total payroll. Interestingly, they ranked 29th in spending on non-All-NBA players.
Even more surprising, the small-market Oklahoma City Thunder came in second, spending $484.8 million on All-NBA talent. They also ranked last in non-star player spending, a prime example of efficient resource allocation.
See the full rankings below.
Percentage of total salary: 30.61 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,796,803,043 (29th in NBA)
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 21.89 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,729,996,839 (30th in NBA)
Kelly L. Cox – USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 18.19 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,046,536,917 (NBA 18th)
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 17.73 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,866,701,486 (27th in NBA)
Harry Howe/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 17.00 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,920,672,540 (24th in NBA)
Carrie Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 15.86 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,903,414,510 (25th in NBA)
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 15.29 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,966,053,015 (21st in NBA)
Doug Benk/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 13.99 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,136,234,957 (10th in NBA)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 11.44 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,993,749,234 (20th in NBA)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 11.23 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,998,871,297 (19th in NBA)
Kelly L. Cox – USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 10.92 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,099,239,938 (12th in NBA)
Brad Rempel – USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 10.84 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,236,521,812 (4th in NBA)
Tim Wachuku/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 9.90 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,112,216,160 (11th in NBA)
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 9.73 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,187,716,644 (NBA 7th)
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 8.97 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,963,813,772 (22nd in NBA)
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 8.89 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,958,754,237 (23rd in NBA)
David Richards-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 8.80 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,201,475,212 (6th in NBA)
Thomas Shay-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 8.32 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,391,995,644 (NBA 2nd)
Michael Reeves/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 7.27 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,093,823,061 (13th in NBA)
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 6.54 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,158,024,193 (9th in NBA)
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 6.08 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,065,710,742 (NBA 16th)
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 5.50 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,596,938,046 (NBA 1st)
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 5.04 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,058,914,219 (NBA 17th)
Sarah Steer/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 5.03 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,333,114,666 (NBA 3rd)
Stephen Lu – USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 4.87 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,823,522,819 (28th in NBA)
Trevor Ruzkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 4.27 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,169,603,436 (8th in NBA)
Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 3.59 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,204,685,506 (5th in NBA)
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 2.93 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,070,996,070 (15th in NBA)
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Percentage of total salary: 2.67 percent
Money spent on Vista: $2,074,037,710 (14th in NBA)
Jason Miller/Getty Images
Percentage of total salary: 2.17 percent
Money spent on Vista: $1,893,808,885 (26th in NBA)
