Forbes: Kevin Durant sixth highest paid athlete in sports at more $92.1 millon

In Forbes annual survey of the highest paid athletes in the world, Kevin Durant ranks sixth, making an estimated $92.1 million in 2021, broken down this way: On-the-field: $42.1 Million and Off-the-Field: $50 Million

Here’s Forbes breakdown...

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant brings in roughly $28 million annually from Nike, a sneaker deal surpassed only by LeBron James’ ($32 million) among active players. He has recently added deals with Coinbase, NBA Top Shot and Weedmaps, but with media company Boardroom and investment firm Thirty Five Ventures, his business empire goes far beyond endorsements. NFT platform OpenSea and digital fitness startup Future are among his latest investments, and he is backing SeatGeek’s SPAC merger. Durant and his longtime business partner, Rich Kleiman, also announced last year that they would launch a SPAC of their own; it is still seeking an acquisition.

Durant is one of four NBA players on the list. Lebron James ($121.1 million) at No. 2; Stef Curry ($92.8 million) at No. 5 and Giannis Antekounmpo at No. 10 ($80.9 million) fill out the NBA roster. Lionel Messi, the Argentine soccer star who plays for Paris Saint-Germain. He made $130 million.

One day after the Forbes report, Sportico released its top 100 highest paid athletes. In their ranking, Durant finished seventh with an estimated take of $85.9 million last year, with $48 million in endorsements. Kyrie Irving finished 28th, per Sportico, with annual income of $44.9 million, including $13 million in endorsements. Blake Griffin earned $32.9 million, most of it from his Pistons buyout, good enough for 73rd on the list. On the Sportico list, James topped Messi for the overall No. 1 spot.

• 10 Highest Paid Athletes: Lionel Messi leads a group that collectively earned more than $990 million in 12 months, with the bar for entry higher than ever. - Brett Knight - Forbes
• 100 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World 2022 - Sportico