Kobe Bryant, Lakers tops LeBron James in ‘the kings’ most cherished stat

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The now legendary Kobe Bryant has topped LeBron James in one more stat that pushes the Black Mamba to be one more step closer to their mutual hero,  Michael Jordan. This stat however, has nothing to do with numbers put up on the hardwood.

Possibly LBJ’s most cherished list of accomplishments is that made in the business world. LeBron attempts to portray himself at a prominent business man in everything he does outside of hoops. There’s no doubt the king is pretty good a generating dollars. However, in the latest Forbes list, he falls behind the Lakers superstar who earned 53 million dollars in 2011 and worked hard to do-so.

From Forbes:

Kobe Bryant toured Europe to promote Nike and the game that made him a global icon. There were stops in Athens, Istanbul, Milan and Rome where he took part in Nike store openings and basketball clinics amid adoring fans. The story is the same in Asia. Bryant is the most revered athlete in China as a five-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and the heir apparent to the high-flying Michael Jordan. He makes annual pilgrimages to China in support of Nike. Bryant received the loudest cheers at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the country boasts 300 million basketball players according to the Chinese Basketball Association.

Bryant’s following has allowed him to amass an endorsement portfolio of global brands including Nike, Smart Car, Panini and Turkish Airlines that pay him $28 million annually. Factor in his league leading $25.2 million salary from the Lakers and Bryant is the NBA’s top-earning athlete at $53.2 million.

Kobe’s PR work on behalf on his sponsors is impressive to say the least– especially considering his lack-luster personality.

To me, what’s most exciting about this is, he narrowly edged LeBron James by 4 million dollars. That left the King at number two on the list.

Anyone that beats LBJ, on or off the court, deserves my praise and respect. Kevin Garnett made the list, tied with Amar’e at 26.2 million dollars– big ticket makes big bucks.

Here’s the top-10 earning NBA athletes:

1. Kobe Bryant – 53 million
   
2. LeBron James – 49 million
3. Dwight Howard – 28.9 million
4. Dwyane Wade – 27.7 million
5. Camelo Anthony – 26.5 million
6. (tie) Amar’e Stoudemire – 26.2 million
7. (tie) Kevin Garnett – 26.2 million
8. Keven Durant – 24.5 million
9. Tim Duncan – 23.3 million
10. Chris Paul – 22.4 million

Full List

One area of Forbes report that did disappoint me was the NBA’s most valuable franchises. After reading the exciting report that something positive came out of the lockout, I was plunged back to down to reality because the Boston Celtics posted at number five on this list, however, they did notch one spot ahead of LeBron’s Miami Heat. The Lakers notched the number one spot.

Here’s the top-10 list:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. New York Knicks
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Boston Celtics
6. Miami Heat
7. Houston Rockets
8. Golden State Warriors
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Phoenix Suns

Full List