ESPN the Magazine has released a pretty cool infographic detailing the 25 highest paid players in sports, as well as the top 10 paid players in each major US sport.
The list is actually kind of eye-opening. It is based solely on what the athletes make from their base compensation and does not include their endorsement money.
The top of the list is no surprise. Floyd Mayweather sits in the number one spot after making over $73 million in prize money last year. But as you dig deeper, you notice some very interesting things.
The name that stands out the most is one that is missing in the top 25, that of NBA superstar Lebron James. King James doesn’t even make the top 25 list, and barely makes the cut-off for NBA salaries, sitting in a 9th place tie with teammate Chris Bosh. In fact, Kobe Bryant is the only NBA player to crack the top 25 list.
As far as baseball goes, you probably want to teach your kids to pitch or play first base, as those positions occupy 8 of the top 10 richest contract slots.
The NFL list is dominated by quarterbacks, with Aaron Rodgers and his $40 million salary topping the list. Whereas the NBA list is filled with contracts that teams regret (ie. Gilbert Arenas, Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson).
Soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi each make $50 million a year. Moral of the story? Sign your kids up for Soccer early on!