The Los Angeles Lakers star has earned $323 million in salary from the Lakers over the course of his career, according to sports salary tracker Spotrac. And he’s collected more than $280 million from sponsorship deals, according to Celebrity Net Worth.com, making him one of the best-paid athletes in the world.
Bryant’s endorsements did take a hit after he was charged with sexual assault in 2003. The charges were ultimately dropped, and he and his accuser settled out of court.
He lost deals with some sponsors, including McDonald’s, as a result, but he kept his deal with Nike, which remains in place to this day.
“Kobe epitomizes ‘there is no finish line,'” said Nike spokesman Brian Strong on Monday. “He’s a legend of the game, and his legacy will live on.”
A number of injuries have limited him to playing in just 41 games over the last two seasons, but he remains wildly popular all around the world.
During his career, Kobe was a 5-time NBA champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star, 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVP and one-time NBA MVP.
Salary:
After tonight, The Lakers will have paid Kobe a total of $323,312,307. That averages out to $20 million per year. His lowest career salary, $1,015,000, came in his rookie year. His highest career salary, $30,453,805, came during the 2013-2014 season. Now, if you think that’s way too much money for one team to pay one player, keep this in mind: When Kobe was a rookie in 1996, The Lakers were valued at $200 million. Today The Lakers are worth a minimum of $2.6 billion. Potentially over $3 billion. And one could argue that a large part of that increase in value is a direct result of Mr. Bryant.
Endorsements:
During his career (so far) Kobe has earned $360 million from endorsements. His biggest benefactor, as you might guess, has been Nike. Nike has paid Kobe $10 million a year since 2003. Before that, Nike paid him around $8 million per year. Over the last eight years of his career, Kobe has earned between $20 and $30 million per year from endorsements alone. Before that, he was earning $10 – $13 million per year.
Kobe’s total career earnings:
When you combine salary and endorsements, Kobe Bryant earned $683 million during his career. His best year ever was the 2013-2014 season when his salary and endorsement income combined to a whopping $58 million.
Kobe Bryant’s net worth: When it’s all said and done, today we estimate that Kobe Bryant’s is sitting on a net worth of $350 million.
And that could keep going up! Kobe doesn’t exactly plan on slowing down or keeping a low profile in the coming years. His brand is especially powerful in China right now.
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