LeBron James zooms in at number four in the top ten highest-paid athletes in the world, along with two other NBA players, as they continue to reap the benefits of deals with Nike and its genocidal partners in Red China.
James hit number four on the Forbes magazine’s top-paid athletes list this year with on-field earnings of $44.5 million and an even bigger $75 million in off-the-court business deals. He is also the first athlete in history to become a certified billionaire, the magazine reminds readers. James earns far more from his various business ventures and endorsement deals and reportedly makes upwards of $30 million annually from Chinese partners Nike.
NBA star LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers meets fans at a Nike store on September 4, 2017, in Beijing, China. (Visual China Group via Getty Images)
The top three athletes on the highest-paid list are European soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, number one with combined earnings of $136 million, Lionel Messi with $130 million, and Kylian Mbappé with $120 million.
As to the other NBA players on the list, Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry raked in about $100 million and earned eighth place on the list. Curry is not working with Nike, granted, but his deal with Under Armour still marks him as dealing with a company that has ties to China.
The third NBA player in the top ten is the Suns’ Kevin Durant, who comes in at number ten on the list with his combined on-court and off-court earnings of about $90 million. In addition, Durant was recently awarded with a lifetime contract by Nike.
A pro-Hong Kong activist holds an image depicting LeBron James aboard a Chinese tank in Tiananmen Square before the Los Angeles Lakers season-opening game against the LA Clippers outside Staples Center on October 22, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The other athletes on the list include boxer Canelo Alvarez (#5, $110 million), golfer Dustin Johnson (#6, $107 million), golfer Phil Mickelson (#7, 4106 million), and tennis player Roger Federer (#9, $95.1 million).
The only female athlete to make a mark on the list was Serena Williams, who came in as no 49 in the top 50 highest-paid athletes with a total earning of $45.3 million. Williams also benefits from millions with China-linked Nike.
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