Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo lands in top five of Forbes' highest-paid athletes of 2024

Forbes just published this year’s iteration of the richest athletes in all of sports, and it is definitely worth noting that Antetokounmpo has finished fifth overall with an estimated $111 million in income this year.

Interestingly, Giannis earned more money from his off-court dealings than he did with his contract with the Bucks. Per Forbes, the former back-to-back MVP pocketed $46 million from his deal with Milwaukee. $65 million or nearly 60% of his total earnings, however, was sourced from all his other income-generating endeavors outside the basketball court.

It would be safe to assume that a big chunk of his off-the-court earnings came from his sponsorship deal with Nike. Giannis also has endorsement contracts with Amazon, Google, Meta, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Walt Disney, to name a few.

Cristiano Ronaldo reigns supreme

For a second year running, it’s global football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo who is sitting atop the Forbes rich list yet again. The 39-year-old earned a whopping $260 million in 2024, which mainly comes from his gargantuan contract with Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr.

John Rahm (golf) came in second with $218 million worth of earnings, while Lionel Messi rounded out the top three with $135 million.

LeBron is right above Giannis at No. 4 with an income of $128.2 in 2024. The only other NBA players in the top 12 are Stephen Curry ($102 million, ninth) and Kevin Durant ($93.3 million, 12th)