According to Complex, Forbes has stated that NBA player Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James is now the most valuable sports brand, overtaking the former top figure, golfer Tiger Woods. The amount that separates the two is only $1 million.
James is worth $36 million as a brand, while Tiger is now worth “only” $35 million. Woods’s brand took a hit after his EA Sports deal was annulled, which brought his worth down from $46 million.
The formula for calculating these sports brands is endorsement income, less the average endorsement income of the top 10 athletes in the same the sport.
Here’s the top 10 list:
1. LeBron James ($37 million)
2. Tiger Woods ($36 million)
3. Roger Federer ($32 million)
4. Phil Mickelson ($29 million)
5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni ($20 million)
6. Usain Bolt ($19 million)
7. Cristiano Ronaldo ($17 million)
8. Kobe Bryant ($15 million)
9. Lionel Messi ($12 million)
10. Rafael Nadal ($10 million)