Global athlete annual income ranking: Curry 156 million, 2nd record, Zhan Huang 6th, Durant 10th

On May 15, Beijing time, Forbes announced the list of the 10 highest-paid athletes in 2025 (2024-2025 season), and football superstar Ronaldo topped the global list with $275 million.Curry ranks second in the world with $156 million, the No. 1 basketball player, and also sets a new all-time record for the annual income of a basketball player (the previous record was James's $128.2 million last year)。 In addition to Curry, basketball players in the top 10 are James at 6th and Durant at 10th.

The specific rankings are as follows-

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($275 million, football), 2. Curry ($156 million, basketball), 3. Fury ($146 million, boxing), 4. Prescott ($137 million, football), 5. Messi ($135 million, football), 6. James ($133.8 million, basketball), 7. Soto ($114 million, baseball), 8. Benzema ($104 million, football), 9. Shohei Ohtani ($102.5 million, baseball), 10. Durant ($101.4 million, basketball)

Here's what Forbes has to say about Curry, James, and Durant –

2. Curry ($156 million)

On-field earnings: $56 million

Off-market revenue: $100 million

In 2023, Curry signed a long-term agreement with Under Armour to extend his sneaker contract long after retirement as the core face of the "Curry brand", and the salary will be significantly higher than before — and that's not even counting the $75 million in stock-based compensation that will vest in 2029 and 2034. The Warriors guard became the first player in NBA history to hit 4,000 three-pointers in March of this year, and off the court, his "shots" are just as accurate.

Over the past year, Curry has invested in the Nirvana drinking water brand and the emerging women's basketball league Unrivaled, partnered with former First Lady Michelle Obama to launch the sports drink brand Plezi Hydration, and served as assistant general manager of basketball programs at his alma mater, Davidson College. Through his film and television company and Peacock Television Network, he executive produced the documentary "Sentenced" and starred in the comedy series "Mr. Vintage" (although the show was cut after only one season). On the court, Curry signed a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension in August that will serve the Warriors through the 2026-27 season and remain at the top of the NBA's salary list for the duration of his contract.

6. James ($133.8 million)

On-field earnings: $48.8 million

Off-market revenue: $85 million

After his 22nd NBA season, James' Los Angeles Lakers went out in the first round. As the decision on whether to exercise the $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season draws closer, the 40-year-old has revealed the possibility of retiring. "I'm going to take a vacation with my family first," the NBA's oldest active player said in a recent podcast, "and we'll see what the rest of my life journey holds." "

Whenever he decided to retire, the 21-time All-Star legend had already built a business empire. As one of only two athletes with more than $1 billion in active assets (the other being Tiger Woods), James is the co-founder of entertainment production company Spring Hill. According to Bloomberg, the company posted a revenue of $104 million last year but lost $28 million. But after merging with Britain's Fulwell73 company — which is reported to have injected $40 million from existing investors — Spring Hill is aiming for profitability. In addition, James has invested in tequila brand Lobos 1707, which sold a majority stake to spirits giant Diageo this year in a deal involving a brand interest in Cîroc vodka. In terms of traditional endorsements, he partnered with Mattel to become the first professional athlete to have a personal image Ken Doll.

10. Durant ($101.4 million)

On-field earnings: $51.4 million

Off-market revenue: $50 million

Durant reached a career milestone in February, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 regular-season points. However, the rest of the season has been full of ups and downs, with the highly-paid Phoenix Suns finishing 11th in the West and missing the playoffs, raising speculation that they could be traded this summer. (The 15-time All-Star has just one year left on his contract and a salary of $54.7 million.) ）

Luckily, Durant has made a lot off the court: he won the gold medal with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics last summer, and became the all-time leading scorer of the U.S. men's basketball team at the Summer Olympics with cumulative points. In August, he bought a stake in French giants Paris Saint-Germain through an investment fund, and subsequently invested in sportswear brand Homage. At the same time, his media company, Boardroom, recently launched a paid membership model and partnered with Fanatics to launch a career development program for athletes. In addition, Durant will also appear in the second season of the Netflix documentary "Starting 5", which is expected to be launched later this year.