- Michael Jordan ruled the sports world as the highest-paid player during the 90s
- Tiger Woods, Michael Schumacher, and Floyd Mayweather took turns keeping LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the highest-paid players during the 2000s and 2010s
- Conor McGregor and Lionel Messi dominating the 2020s so far
The world of sports has been growing in popularity since the turn of the century. The 1980s saw a massive explosion in sports popularity, with the advent of television and live broadcasting making games more accessible than ever. With this popularity, came incredible amounts of money for athletes.
Sports & business analyst Andrew Petcash shared a thread with a graph of the world’s highest-paid athletes between 1990 to 2022.
The 90s began with Mike Tyson and other boxers dominating the riches until Michael Jordan‘s contract began to reflect his value somewhat to the basketball world as he became the highest-paid player in the decade. His $70 million ascent to the top of the list also coincided with Tyson’s ban from the boxing world.
This is fascinating. Worth the watch! 🤯
History of the highest paid athletes: pic.twitter.com/sHapl7o0xN
— Andrew Petcash (@AndrewPetcash) July 28, 2023
Part 3: Highest paid athletes in the world
2012-2022 pic.twitter.com/SzizLceHtv
— Andrew Petcash (@AndrewPetcash) July 28, 2023
Going into the 2000s, in the absence of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher dominated their respective sports, and the top of the list, keeping NBA stars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant from the top of the list.
During the 2010s, soccer stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather easily eclipsed stars from the NBA, with Conor McGregor doing the same in the 2020s. But with the NBA rising in popularity, this list could look very different in a few years’ time.
Jaylen Brown Could Change The Game For NBA Stars And New Contracts
Recently, Jaylen Brown signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history, penning a 5-year, $304 million extension with the Boston Celtics.
Many fans, and even executives in the league were baffled, as Brown isn’t the best player in his own team, let alone the league, and has commanded such a massive fee.
Brown’s extension is an indication to the rest of the league what an All-Star caliber player is worth in today’s market. And with the Larry Bird rights rule, teams can go well beyond the salary cap to sign their players to long-term extensions.
Which NBA players will become one of, if not the highest-paid athletes in the world over the coming years? The NBA is far from lacking when it comes to talented players, but it will be their agents’ negotiation tactics and business acumen that will determine their contracts.
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