I’m sure you can guess who topped Forbes highest paid NBA athlete list right?! If you’re a sports fan, you know who it is and you can probably guess who sits behind him at 2. As far as the teams, you might be surprised!
Check out the lists after the jump…
According to Kurt Badenhausen at Forbes:
Here’s the top 10 list:
No. 1: Kobe Bryant
Earnings: $59.8 million
On-court: $27.8 million
Off-court: $32 million
Bryant’s salary is $7 million higher than any other player’s. Nike sells twice as many Bryant sneakers in China as in the U.S.
No. 2: LeBron James
Earnings: $57.6 million
On-court: $17.6 million
Off-court: $40 million
The league’s top pitchman (and reigning champ; MVP) counts Nike, Coca-Cola, Samsung and McDonald’s among his global partners.
No. 3: Derrick Rose
Earnings: $32.4 million
On-court: $16.4 million
Off-court: $16 million
Just kicked off a 13-year, $185 million Adidas deal, as well as a five-year, $95 million contract extension with the Bulls.
No. 4: Dwyane Wade
Earnings: $30.2 million
On-court: $17.2 million
Off-court: $13 million
Wade’s off-court income got a boost when he left Nike and signed a shoe deal with China’s Li Ning this past fall.
No. 5: Kevin Durant
Earnings: $29.7 million
On-court: $16.7 million
Off-court: $13 million
The scoring champ is in the second year of his five-year, $85 million Thunder deal. The bulk of his endorsement income is from Nike.
No. 6: Carmelo Anthony
Earnings: $28.4 million
On-court: $19.4 million
Off-court: $9 million
One of the faces of Nike’s Jordan brand, Anthony broke the U.S. Olympic single-game scoring record last summer with 37 points.
No. 7: Amar’e Stoudemire
Earnings: $27.9 million
On-court: $19.9 million
Off-court: $8 million
The oft-injured big man has two years and $45 million left on his $100 million Knicks deal after this season.
No. 8: Dwight Howard
Earnings: $26.5 million
On-court: $19.5 million
Off-court: $7 million
His messy exit from Orlando hurt Howard’s image; Coca-Cola and McDonald’s did not renew deals with him in recent years.
No. 9: Chris Paul
Earnings: $24.8 million
On-court: $17.8 million
Off-court: $7 million
Paul’s trade to L.A. has raised his profile: He’s added State Farm to an endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Powerade and Upper Deck.
No. 10: Pau Gasol
Earnings: $21.5 million
On-court: $19 million
Off-court: $2.5 million
The 32-year-old Spaniard is the top-paid European player when endorsement income from Nike, Banco Popular and EA Sports is factored in.
*You can see the full report in detail at Forbes*
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Via FoxSports:
The New York Knicks have surpassed the Los Angeles Lakers as the most valuable team in the NBA, according to Forbes’ annual study.
Boosted by renovations to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ value increased 41 percent to $1.1 billion. The Lakers were second at $1 billion.
The report released Wednesday estimated the average NBA team’s value at $509 million, a 30 percent increase from last year.
The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks round out the top five.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the least valuable at $312 million. The Nets’ value increased 48 percent to $530 million, ranking ninth, after their move from New Jersey to Brooklyn.
