Stephen Curry elite among top-earning athletes; two Panthers make Forbes ranking
For a guy passed over by all those ACC programs, Stephen Curry made out just fine, huh?
Former Charlottean Curry, now a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player with the Golden State Warriors, is the 6th-highest paid athlete in the world, according to Forbes magazine’s rankings published Friday.
Curry, who starred at Davidson, will make more than $74 million in 2020, Forbes reported, including about $44 million in endorsement income.
Curry is joined on the Forbes top-100 list by two Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey and Shaq Thompson, after those two signed lucrative contract extensions. Former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, not yet signed for next season, also made Forbes’ rankings.
Curry was the second-highest earning U.S. athlete, behind Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James at $88 million. Tennis’ Roger Federer was No. 1 at $106 million.. The highest-earning female athlete was Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka at $37.4 million.
Forbes factored the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on various athletes’ earnings into their rankings.
Curry, son of former Charlotte Hornet Dell Curry, is arguably the best long-range shooter in NBA history. He has been the centerpiece of a Warriors team that has won three titles since 2015. He signed a five-year, $201 million contract with the Warriors at 2017.
Curry’s broad popularity makes him a force in endorsements, particularly in his relationship with shoe-and-apparel maker Under Armour.
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was ranked 63rd, with estimated 2020 earnings of $26.5 million.. McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million extension with the Panthers in April, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. Panthers linebacker Thompson signed a four-year, $54 million contract, that included a $16 million signing bonus. Signing bonuses pushed McCaffrey and Thompson onto the Forbes list.
Newton is ranked 97th in earnings at $22.2 million.
There are several athletes with North Carolina ties who made Forbes’ list, including former former Duke basketball star Kyrie Irving (No. 24 at 41.9 million), former Wake Forest basketball star Chris Paul (No. 35 at $35 million), Raleigh native and Washington Wizards star John Wall (No. 42, $31.2 million), former Charlotte Hornet Kemba Walker (No. 52 at $27.6 million), former Duke star Zion Williamson (No. 57 at $27.3 million) and former UNC football and Chicago Bears star Robert Quinn (No. 77, $24.7 million).
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Stephen Curry elite among top-earning athletes; two Panthers make Forbes ranking."
