Few, if any, professional sporting leagues have more marketable stars than the NBA. Basketball has gone global, and stars are cashing in on the sport's expansion. Nike, for example, sells twice as many of Kobe Bryant's shoes in China than in the United States.
Forbes recently put out its list of the top-earning NBA stars, and it's got all of the usual suspects. But a few players from last year's list (Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett) have been replaced.
Here's who made the cut. (It's another LeBron-Kobe showdown.)
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Salary: $17.6 million
Endorsements: $40 million
Last year's ranking: 2
James' hardware collection got a serious boost last year when he added two MVP trophies (regular season and Finals) as well as an Olympic gold medal and a Finals ring. He makes more money in endorsements than any other NBAer, and his profitability is still on the rise. -
Salary: $27.8 million
Endorsements: $32 million
Last year's ranking: 1
At least something is going right for the Lakers' superstar. His longevity (17 years in the league ) and loyalty (he has been with Los Angeles his entire career) have allowed him to sign the highest-paying contract in the league.
.jpg "5. Kevin Durant, $29.7 million")
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