Kobe Bryant will retire at the end of the season and not only will he go down as one of the best players ever, he’s also noted with a record in career earnings.
via Forbes:
One area that Bryant did pass his boyhood idol was at the bank. Jordan earned an estimated $465 million during his playing career from his playing salary and endorsements, while Bryant’s tally will hit $680 million by the end of the season. On an inflation-adjusted basis, the two are closer with Bryant holding the edge $762 million to $720 million in 2015 dollars (Jordan has continued to make a mint in retirement with total inflation-adjusted earnings of $1.6 billion since 1985).
Bryant’s $680 million in total earnings is the most ever by a team athlete during their playing career. The only athletes to earn more are in individual sports and include Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher and Floyd Mayweather.
He has been the NBA’s highest-paid player the past six seasons and is the only player in NBA history besides Jordan to have a salary that topped $30 million in a given year. Bryant’s $323 million in career playing salary trails only Kevin Garnett at $332 million.
