Derrick Rose may have only played 310 minutes of basketball in the last two seasons, but that can’t stop him from being one of the top moneymakers in the NBA, according to a Forbes.
Rose’s earnings of $38.6 million ($17.6 million from the Bulls and $21 million from endorsements) is good enough to land him No. 3 on the list, behind the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant ($64.5 million) and the Heat’s LeBron James ($61.1 million). This season, James is pulling in $42 million just from his endorsements.
How much have times changed? Michael Jordan’s first shoe endorsement with Nike in 1984 paid him $500,000 a year.
The NBA’s 10 highest-paid players will collectively bank $358 million this year, including $149 million from sponsors. Nine of the top 10 make at least $4 million annually from endorsements. — Forbes
The Clippers’ Chris Paul, who sits at No. 10 on the list, will make $22.7 million, with $4 million of that coming from endorsements.
There’s big money flowing in the NBA, which means there’s also big money flowing out of fans’ wallets. If you plan on attending a Bulls game this year, that’s going to set you back more than $450, according to Team Marketing Report’s Fan Cost Index.
And if there was any doubt to Rose’s star power, just a few weeks ago, he was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30″ sports list for 2014.
