have all but ignored sports over the years, choosing
instead to play primarily hip hop and dusties. In our
communities, it’s obvious that athletes are our
dominate personalities. In terms of wealth and success,
it’s hard to argue that point. Many restaurants and
bars use the sports bar theme to generate billions of
dollars collectively.
Tiger Woods headed the recently released Sports
Illustrated Fortunate
50: the 50 top revenue-earning American athletes,
taking into account money earned both on the field and
off. Woods is the only golfer to win all four
professional Major championships in succession: the
Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship.
He is well on his way to becoming the first
billion-dollar athlete. He’s the first athlete to ever
earn over $100 million in one calendar year in combined
income.
Woods last year earned $111,941,827 in combined
income. In salary and winnings, he made $11,941,827; in
endorsements, he was paid $100 million. Number two on
the list was Oscar De La Hoya at $55 million. De La Hoya
made $53 million in salary and winnings and just $2
million in endorsements.
Number three was Phil Mickelson with $51,256,605.
Mickelson made $47 million in endorsements. Number four
was Shaquille O’Neal, NBA star with the Miami Heat,
with $35 million. Shaq made $20 million in salary and
$15 million in endorsements. Number five was his
ex-teammate Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers with
$33,718,750. Kobe was paid $17,718,750 in salary and
winnings.
Number six was 22-year-old LeBron James of the
Cleveland Cavaliers, who like Kobe went from high school
right to the NBA. James made $30,828,089 total, $25
million in endorsements. Number seven was Minnesota
Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett, who made $29 million,
of which $21 million was in salary from his team.
Garnett, like LeBron and Kobe, went from high school
to the NBA. Maybe that’s why the NBA changed the rule
to stop athletes from jumping from high school to the
NBA. Three of the top-10 earners never spent a day in
college.
Number eight on the list was baseball star Derek
Jeter of the New York Yankees with $29 million. Jeter
made $22 million in salary. Number nine was his teammate
Alex Rodriguez with $28 million, $22 million of which he
was paid by the Yankees. And rounding out the top ten is
Auto Racings Dale Earnhardt Jr. at $27,111,735.
Eight of the top 10 on the Sports Illustrated
Fortunate 50 are people of color, and seven are Black
athletes. There are many stories that can be told about
the way these athletes generate all that money. That
would serve our community much better than listening to
music. After all, it’s about earning power.
