Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
The Los Angeles Lakers are back on top as the NBA’s most valuable franchise and All-Star guard Kobe Bryant retains his crown as the league’s top earner.
Check out what he made and the top 5 after the jump…
The latest evaluation from Forbes Magazine estimates that Bryant will earn $53.2 million in salary and endorsements this year, well more than his closest competition. Miami Heat All-Star forwardLeBron James is No. 2 at $49 million.
Bryant’s following has allowed him to amass an endorsement portfolio of global brands including Nike, Smart Car, Panini and Turkish Airlines that pay him $28 million annually. Factor in his league leading $25.2 million salary from the Lakers and Bryant is the NBA’s top-earning athlete at $53.2 million.
Bryant’s Lakers salary is $3 million greater than any other NBA player thanks to the idiosyncrasies of the NBA’s maximum salary rules on individual players.
Bryant, 33, is a 5-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star. He is currently leading the NBA in scoring, at 30.5 points per game and is currently the Western Conference’s leading vote-getter for the 2012 All-Star Game. Entering this season, Bryant had earned more than $196 million in salary during his career, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
In December, Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, filed for divorce. She will reportedly receive up to $75 million in the divorce settlement, including three California houses owned by the couple.
The rest of the top-5 NBA earners, according to Forbes: Heat LeBron James ($49 million), Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard (28.9 million), Miami Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade (27.7 million) and New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony (26.5 million).
WRITTEN BY Ben Golliver  & FULL STORY HERE
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