Kevin Durant recently signed a new deal with Nike, one that is expected to last a lifetime. The exact worth of this contract has not been revealed, but we can be sure that it’s in the millions. Durant isn’t the first player to sign a lifetime deal with Nike. Before him, NBA icons LeBron James and Michael Jordan also put pen to paper with the American brand.
Thanks to his new lucrative deal, and his off-the-court ventures, KD has managed to feature on Forbes‘ highest-paid athletes list. Durant is 10th on the list. It is a huge surprise considering the fact that there have been other players earning more from their NBA contracts. The truth is that Durant has made his fortune this year mainly off the court.
Kevin Durant and Nike have agreed to a lifetime deal.
KD joins Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only other basketball athletes with a lifetime deal.
(via @boardroom) pic.twitter.com/6Anb63CSeE
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2023
Kevin Durant has reportedly earned a total of $89.1 million. Sources say that the Phoenix Suns superstar will make $45 million away from the NBA court, and his investment firm, 35V, is to thank. KD holds stakes in various sports and even Tiger Woods’ TMRW Sports. If that wasn’t enough, Durant also owns Boardroom, a media network that he owns with Rich Kleiman.
LeBron James and Stephen Curry also feature on the highest-paid athletes list
Apart from KD, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have also made it to the list. King James is 4th on the list, having made a whopping $119.5 million. $44.5 million comes from his contract, while the remaining $75 million comes from his business ventures. As mentioned earlier, LeBron also has a lifetime contract with Nike.
LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant are all in the Top 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2023💰
(via @Forbes) pic.twitter.com/e9Z8q2cybP
— Guru (@DrGuru_) May 2, 2023
It should be mentioned that the 4x NBA champ is a billionaire, thanks to his multiple investments in sports through the Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The investment group is famously known for owning the English Premier League club Liverpool.
The Chef has also made it onto the list and sits in 8th place. He has raked in a staggering $100.4 million, which isn’t a big surprise considering he is the highest-paid NBA player right now. The Golden State Warriors superstar will also earn $52 million away from the NBA scene.
Cristiano Ronaldo makes his way to the top thanks to his lucrative contract with Al-Nassr
The 5x Ballon d’Or winner left his boyhood club Manchester United to join Al-Nassr after what was a turbulent second stint. The Saudi Arabian club managed to secure the icon’s signature and agreed to pay him $75 million per year. Ronaldo has only made $46 million through his contracts, but Forbes is said to have accounted for the period when he was not signed to a club after United terminated his contract.
🚨BREAKING🚨
Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s highest paid athlete. He earned about €136 million during the period from May 1 2022 to May 1 2023.
On-Field: $46 million
Off-Field: $90 million [Via/Forbes] pic.twitter.com/MdGCpkAt4d— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) May 2, 2023
Ronaldo’s rival, Lionel Messi, was at the top last year. He raked in $130 million whereas the Portuguese striker earned $15 million less. Interestingly, LeBron was in 2nd place in 2022, after making $121.2 million. This speaks at length about how Ronaldo’s bumper contract with Al-Nassr has helped boost his earnings.
Moreover, the former Real Madrid star is also the most-followed individual on Instagram, and he is one of the most popular celebrities in the world. It means that brands are continuously lining up to collaborate with Ronaldo. They will be planning to capitalize on his influence, which eventually boosts his earnings.
