The Fortunate 50
In assembling SI's inaugural list of the top 50 American athletes
by current annual income, here are some things we learned:
Top-ranked Tiger Woods nearly doubled No. 2 Shaquille O'Neal's
earnings; NBA players (24) make up nearly half the list; and one
fifth of the athletes play for New York-area teams. There are
only four football players, and no hockey players. The only two
women are sisters. Candidates had to be active athletes who are
U.S. citizens, which means that German race car driver Michael
Schumacher (who would have been No. 2 with $71 million), British
soccer demigod David Beckham ($30 million) and Czech hockey star
Jaromir Jagr ($14 million), for instance, were not eligible. We
also limited income to salary or winnings, bonuses, endorsement
contracts and appearance fees. In other words, we don't care if
Tiger and Shaq make a killing on Google stock. --Compiled by
Jonah Freedman
[S] Salary or winnings (including bonuses)
[E] Endorsements and appearance fees
[T] Total income
1
TIGER WOODS
Golf
[S]$6,673,413
[E]$70,000,000
[T]$76,673,413
2
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL
Los Angeles Lakers
[S]$26,517,858
[E]$14,000,000
[T]$40,517,858
3
LEBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavaliers
[S]$4,018,920
[E]$35,000,000
[T]$39,018,920
4
PEYTON MANNING
Indianapolis Colts
[S]$26,900,000
[E]$9,500,000
[T]$36,400,000
5
KEVIN GARNETT
Minnesota Timberwolves
[S]$29,000,000
[E]$7,000,000
[T]$36,000,000
6
OSCAR DE LA HOYA
Boxing
[S]$30,000,000
[E]$2,000,000
[T]$32,000,000
7
ANDRE AGASSI
Tennis
[S]$2,530,929
[E]$24,500,000
[T]$27,030,929
8
KOBE BRYANT
Los Angeles Lakers
[S]$13,498,000
[E]$12,000,000
[T]$25,498,000
9
DEREK JETER
New York Yankees
[S]$19,000,000
[E]$6,000,000
[T]$25,000,000
10
GRANT HILL
Orlando Magic
[S]$13,279,250
[E]$11,000,000
[T]$24,279,250
11
VINCE CARTER
Toronto Raptors
[S]$16,000,000
[E]$8,000,000
[T]$24,000,000
12
MANNY RAMIREZ
Boston Red Sox
[S]$23,700,000
[E]$250,000
[T]$23,950,000
13
DALE EARNHARDT JR.
Auto Racing
[S]$7,081,807
[E]$15,000,000
[T]$22,081,807
14
MIKE PIAZZA
New York Mets
[S]$15,000,000
[E]$6,500,000
[T]$21,500,000
15
TRACY MCGRADY
Orlando Magic
[S]$13,279,500
[E]$8,000,000
[T]$21,279,500
16
ALEX RODRIGUEZ
New York Yankees
[S]$17,000,000
[E]$4,000,000
[T]$21,000,000
17
ALLEN IVERSON
Philadelphia 76ers
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$7,000,000
[T]$20,500,000
18
SAMMY SOSA
Chicago Cubs
[S]$16,000,000
[E]$4,000,000
[T]$20,000,000
19
BARRY BONDS
San Francisco Giants
[S]$15,000,000
[E]$4,000,000
[T]$19,000,000
20
CARLOS DELGADO
Toronto Blue Jays
[S]$18,500,000
[E]$250,000
[T]$18,750,000
21
JEFF GORDON
Auto Racing
[S]$6,622,002
[E]$12,000,000
[T]$18,622,002
22
ANFERNEE HARDAWAY
New York Knicks
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$4,250,000
[T]$17,750,000
23
SERENA WILLIAMS
Tennis
[S]$2,504,871
[E]$15,000,000
[T]$17,504,871
24
JASON GIAMBI
New York Yankees
[S]$14,000,000
[E]$3,500,000
[T]$17,500,000
25
RASHEED WALLACE
Detroit Pistons
[S]$16,990,000
[E]$300,000
[T]$17,290,000
26
LANCE ARMSTRONG
Cycling
[S]$460,000
[E]$16,500,000
[T]$16,960,000
27
CHRIS WEBBER
Sacramento Kings
[S]$15,937,500
[E]$1,000,000
[T]$16,937,500
28
ANDRE MILLER
Denver Nuggets
[S]$16,400,000
[E]$250,000
[T]$16,650,000
29
LAVAR ARRINGTON
Washington Redskins
[S]$16,040,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$16,540,000
TIE
30
SHAWN GREEN
Los Angeles Dodgers
[S]$16,000,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$16,500,000
30
MIKE MUSSINA
New York Yankees
[S]$16,000,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$16,500,000
32
ALLAN HOUSTON
New York Knicks
[S]$15,937,500
[E]$500,000
[T]$16,437,500
33
TIM DUNCAN
San Antonio Spurs
[S]$12,676,125
[E]$3,500,000
[T]$16,176,125
34
JASON KIDD
New Jersey Nets
[S]$13,152,000
[E]$3,000,000
[T]$16,152,000
35
ROY JONES JR.
Boxing
[S]$15,000,000
[E]$1,000,000
[T]$16,000,000
36
PHIL MICKELSON
Golf
[S]$1,828,031
[E]$14,000,000
[T]$15,828,031
37
GRANT WISTROM
Seattle Seahawks
[S]$15,500,000
[E]$100,000
[T]$15,600,000
TIE
38
KEVIN BROWN
New York Yankees
[S]$15,000,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$15,500,000
38
ANTOINE WALKER
Dallas Mavericks
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$2,000,000
[T]$15,500,000
40
LAMAR ODOM
Miami Heat
[S]$15,000,000
[E]$375,000
[T]$15,375,000
41
VENUS WILLIAMS
Tennis
[S]$1,126,555
[E]$14,000,000
[T]$15,126,555
42
STEPHON MARBURY
New York Knicks
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$1,500,000
[T]$15,000,000
43
DAMON STOUDAMIRE
Portland Trail Blazers
[S]$14,375,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$14,875,000
TIE
44
RAY ALLEN
Seattle SuperSonics
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$1,000,000
[T]$14,500,000
44
CHIPPER JONES
Atlanta Braves
[S]$14,000,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$14,500,000
44
ANTONIO MCDYESS
Phoenix Suns
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$1,000,000
[T]$14,500,000
TIE
47
SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM
Portland Trail Blazers
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$14,000,000
47
DONOVAN MCNABB
Philadelphia Eagles
[S]$11,000,000
[E]$3,000,000
[T]$14,000,000
47
LATRELL SPREWELL
Minnesota Timberwolves
[S]$13,500,000
[E]$500,000
[T]$14,000,000
50
MICHAEL FINLEY
Dallas Mavericks
[S]$13,281,250
[E]$500,000
[T]$13,781,250
SOURCES: Salary, winnings and bonus figures from players'
associations, tour records, agents, news reports. Endorsement
estimates from agents, sports-marketing executives and analysts.
Salaries based on sports' current seasons (2004 for NFL). For
winnings-based sports (auto racing, boxing, cycling, golf,
tennis) 2003 calendar earnings used.
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