LeBron James

Even for those not following basketball closely, chances are you still have an understanding of LeBron James’ stature in the NBA. Amongst the most watched and well-endorsed athletes across any league, King James is also bringing in the most cake, with digits close to $57 million sitting in his bank account for 2013 alone. Stemming from his rank as an all-star athlete, LeBron has been able to ink a range of lucrative deals with Audemars Piguet, Samsung, Nike and others, the latter of which names funds his best-selling signature shoe series. Additionally, James became the first-ever NBA player to hand-curate the soundtrack for NBA 2K14, while serving as the game’s cover player in-between having action figures and an animated TV series made showing his likeness. This year saw the release of his most recent signature, the LeBron XI. While the shoe has sold well on store shelves, it has made sparing appearances on the hardwood due to issues with its fit.