The Forbes 2014 World’s Highest-Paid Athletes list named the 100 athletes raking in the most money this year. From basketball to wrestling to racing, these household names and superstars are the best at what they do. Here are the top 10 highest-paid African American athletes.
Pay: $105 million
Sport: Boxing
Mayweather dominates at No. 1 on the list. His fight against Canelo Alvarez in September 2013 grossed the highest PPV ever at $150 million and earned total revenues of about $200 million. The American professional boxer currently remains undefeated and is a five-division world champion. He was named Fighter of the Year twice by Ring magazine and won the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Multiple media outlets such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Fox Sports have named him the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Since 2012, Mayweather has retained his No. 1 spot at the top of the list.
Pay: $72.3 million
Sport: Basketball
At 6 foot 8 and 250 pounds, LeBron James easily comes in at No. 3 on the Forbes list. There aren’t too many households who don’t recognize the name LeBron James. The international superstar and legend was born in Akron, Ohio, where he graduated from high school and was drafted into the NBA in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. James then left the Cavs in 2007 and joined the Miami Heat franchise, where he won his first championship in 2012. He proceeded to lead the Heat on a 27-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history. James rejoined the Cavaliers after his contract ended with the Heat earlier this year. He has won two NBA championships and two finals MVP awards, four NBA MVP awards, two Olympic gold medals, and Rookie of the Year. He is the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer. James also accumulates much of his wealth off the court because of his popularity, fame, and endorsement deals.
Pay: $61.5 million
Sport: Basketball
Raking in $61.5 million this year, Kobe Bryant is one of the NBA’s all-time postseason scorers and regular season scorers, and one of the best basketball players to ever rule the court. Similar to LeBron James, Bryant also joined the league straight out of high school. The basketball legend has played for the Los Angeles Lakers his entire 18-year career, winning an astounding five NBA championships. Since the second year of his career, in 1997, he has been selected to start every All-Star Game. He also became the youngest player, at age 34,
to reach 30,000 career points. Bryant has won countless awards and is often compared by basketball fans to Michael Jordan.Pay: $61.2 million
Sport: Golf
One of the most successful golfers if not the most successful golfer ever, Woods remains on the list as one of the highest-paid black athletes for the past several years. He went pro in 1996; he won his first major in the 1997 Masters, earning $486,000 for his dominating performance. From August 1999 to September 2004 and from June 2005 to October 2010, he was ranked No. 1. Because of his marital problems and the massive media scrutiny over his infidelity in 2010, Woods stumbled professionally but later regained his No. 1 ranking in March 2013.
Pay: $36.6 million
Sport: Basketball
Derrick Rose became the first guard to be drafted by the Chicago Bulls, the first overall draft pick in the NBA since Allen Iverson in 1996. Rose was named the league’s MVP in 2011, the youngest player at age 22 to ever win the award. He was also the first Bulls draftee to score 10 points or higher in his first 10 games since Michael Jordan. In 2010, ESPN reported that Rose had the fourth best-selling jersey in the league. He signed a five-year contract for $94.8 million with the Bulls in December 2011. Despite his continual knee injuries, the star manages to persevere and rule the court.
Pay: $32 million
Sport: Racing
Hamilton currently races for the Mercedes AMG team and is the 2008 and 2014 Formula One World Champion. The racer is often considered the first black driver in Formula One; he is the first black driver to win a major race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The speed demon has set various records. He won the World Championship in 2008. Hamilton also has more victories under his belt than any other British driver in history.
Pay: $31.9 million
Sport: Basketball
The 6-foot-9-inch professional basketball player plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has won an MVP award, an Olympic gold medal, and four NBA scoring titles. Durant helped lead the Thunder to the Finals in 2012, where they lost to the Miami Heat in the fifth game of the series. The superstar has also won NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to five All-NBA and five All-Star teams. Durant also has an astonishing wingspan of 7 feet 4 inches, which largely contributes to his stellar defensive skills.
Pay: $29.9 million
Sport: Basketball
Dwyane Wade is one of the most established and popular players in the NBA, and he is a recognized force on the Miami Heat. He led the team to its first championship in 2003 and was selected to play on the All-Star team for 10 straight years. In addition to leading the U.S. men’s basketball team in scoring during the 2008 Summer Olympics, the superstar also won gold medal honors. Furthermore, Wade was part of the “Big Three,” alongside Chris Bosh and LeBron James, who led the Miami Heat to the finals all four of the years they played together.
Pay: $29.4 million
Sport: Basketball
Carmelo Anthony entered the NBA in 2003 as the third overall pick for the Denver Nuggets. He currently plays for the New York Knicks and was named an All-Star seven times. Melo led the Nuggets to the playoffs from 2004 to 2010. This year, he set the Knicks’ single-game scoring record at Madison Square Garden at a skyrocketing 62 points. He also won a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2004 and gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Pay: $26.7 million
Sport: Basketball
The 6-foot-10-inch athlete plays on the New York Knicks. He was drafted into the league as the ninth overall draft pick in the first round of 2002 to the Phoenix Suns, where he played eight seasons before leaving to join the Knicks. He won 2003 Rookie of the Year Award and appeared in six All-Star Games. Stoudemire was also awarded a bronze medal during the 2004 Olympics.