Which Sports Players Make the Most Money?

Forbes recently released their list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. Of the top 100, how many play soccer, tennis, or basketball?

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Introduction

We all know that professional athletes can make a lot of money. But which sports players make the most money? In this article, we will list the top 10 highest-paid athletes in the world.

Forbes magazine releases an annual list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world. The list takes into account not only their prize money and salaries, but also their endorsement deals. This year’s top 10 highest-paid athletes are:

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – $285 million
2. Lionel Messi – $111 million
3. Cristiano Ronaldo – $108 million
4. Conor McGregor – $99 million
5. Neymar – $90 million
6. LeBron James – $85.5 million
7. Roger Federer – $77.2 million
8. Stephen Curry – $76.9 million
9. Matt Ryan – $67 million
10. Matthew Stafford – $59.5 million

NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

LeBron James

As of 2020, LeBron James is the NBA player with the highest salary, earning $37.4 million dollars per year. He is followed by Stephen Curry, who earns $34.7 million dollars per year. Kevin Durant rounds out the top three, earning $31.5 million dollars annually.

Kevin Durant

In 2019, Kevin Durant is set to make $30 million in salary from the Golden State Warriors and an estimated $38 million in endorsements. That brings his total 2019 earnings to an estimated $68 million. Durant’s total earnings put him at No. 10 on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes.

Durant’s salary with the Warriors is actually less than what he made in previous years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He signed a two-year, $61.5 million contract with the Warriors in 2016, but his salary was significantly lower than it could have been because he took less money so that the team could sign other players. In 2017, Durant signed a one-year, $25 million extension with the Warriors.

Durant’s endorsement deals include Nike (NKE), Beats By Dre and Sovereign Brands. He also has his own media company, Thirty Five Ventures, which has investments in technology, media and sports.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-season career in the National Basketball Association with the Los Angeles Lakers. He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons playing with one franchise for an entire career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

NFL

In the NFL, the average player salary is $2.1 million. The median player salary is $860,000. The median is the salary at which half the players in the league make more money and half make less. The top quarter of players in the NFL make an average of $4 million per year while the bottom quarter make an average of $1.2 million per year. The average player salary has been increasing at a rate of about 5% per year since 2009.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, is also the highest-paid player in the NFL. According to Spotrac, a website that tracks athlete salaries, Brady will make $15 million in salary and bonuses this season. That means he’ll earn an average of $31.25 million per year over the course of his career. The New England Patriots quarterback is also one of the most endorsement-friendly athletes in the world, and his total earnings are likely much higher than his salary alone.

Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft to become the heir apparent to Brett Favre. After Favre won a sixth NFL MVP Award in 2007, Rodgers became the starting quarterback in 2008 and led the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XLV after the 2010 season. He was named Super Bowl MVP, has been selected to six Pro Bowls, and was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2014. Rodgers has led the NFL three times in touchdown-to-interception ratio (2011, 2012, and 2014), twice in passer rating (2011 and 2012), once in yards per attempt (2011), and once in touchdown percentage (2012). He smashed nearly every franchise passing record held by Favre during his career.

Rodgers is considered by many to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He’s currently ranked No. 4 on NFL Network’s “The Top 100 Players of 2017.”

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Wisconsin during his senior year, and was drafted by the Seahawks with the 12th pick in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson has made seven Pro Bowl appearances, led his team to six NFC West division titles, and has appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one.

MLB

The average MLB salary has continued to rise over the past few years and is now at an all-time high. The top players in the league are making more money than ever before. In this article, we’ll take a look at which players are making the most money in Major League Baseball.

Clayton Kershaw

-Los Angeles Dodgers – Starting Pitcher
-3x NL Cy Young Award winner
-7x MLB All-Star
As of 2019, Kershaw is the highest paid player in Major League Baseball, making $33 million dollars per year.

Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera, who plays first base and third base for the Detroit Tigers, is one of the highest-paid baseball players in the world. In 2018, he signed a contract extension with the Tigers that will pay him $30 million per year for eight years, for a total of $240 million. That makes him the highest-paid player in baseball history.

Cabrera’s 2018 salary is more than double what the next highest-paid player, outfielder Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees, will make. Stanton signed a 13-year contract worth $325 million in 2014. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees is fourth on the list at $27 million per year, while pitcher Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds out the top five at $26 million per year.

Felix Hernandez

In 2019, Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez was the fourth highest-paid player in Major League Baseball, with an annual salary of $27 million. Hernandez is a three-time All-Star and he won the Cy Young Award in 2010. He is one of only four active pitchers with 2,000 strikeouts, and his 2.93 career ERA is the lowest of any active pitcher with at least 1,500 innings pitched.

NHL

The average NHL player salary is $2.7 million annually. The NHL has a salary cap of $73 million, which means that each team can spend up to $73 million on player salaries. The highest-paid NHL player is Sidney Crosby, who makes $12 million per year.

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who serves as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played junior hockey for the Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The NHL selected him first overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and he subsequently became the youngest captain in league history to lift the Stanley Cup when he did so in 2009. He is also one of only two players, along with Alex Ovechkin, to have earned all three major MVP awards—the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, the Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP—in one career.

Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews is a professional ice hockey player who plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Toews is considered one of the best players in the NHL, and has won numerous awards, including the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. He is one of only eight active players to have won both an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup.

Alexander Ovechkin

Alexander Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Ovechkin was selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals. He scored 52 goals as a rookie, setting an NHL record for most goals scored by a rookie left winger. With 11 seasons played in the NHL, he has scored over 600 goals and 1,000 points, leading the league in goals five times and points once. He has earned numerous individual awards and trophies, including eight MVP awards
– three Hart Trophies as league MVP, six Ted Lindsay Awards, and four Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the athletes that make the most money are generally the ones that bring in the most revenue for their team or league. The top earners in each sport tend to be very popular and have strong fan bases. They also tend to be exceptionally talented and have a long-standing successful career.