The late great Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal left an indelible mark in the NBA through their illustrious careers and they were paid handsomely for their services. They are the among few athletes to rake up more than $1 billion in career earnings when adjusted for inflation. However, in the 50 Highest-Paid Athletes of All-Time list by Sportico, Shaq has a slight edge of $120 million over Bryant.
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As per the list, the big man recorded a career total of $1.21 billion when adjusted for inflation. On the other hand, the Mamba’s inflation-adjusted overall career earnings totals to about $1.09 billion. The difference between the two amounts is around $120 million.
As a matter of fact, Shaq’s career earnings are $805 million when not adjusted for inflation, while Kobe’s non-inflation-adjusted career earnings of $755 million are right behind. Shaq was building a personal brand from the nascent stages of his career. However, Bryant’s playing style had a ton of value considering that he was considered the second coming of Michael Jordan. Therefore, these two athletes fetched a lot of traction in the market.
Kobe Bryant’s brand deals
Kobe “Bean” Bryant built a boisterous business model and believed in long-term partnerships. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-year-long NBA career and signed partnerships that have seen a long-term future. In terms of NBA contracts, Kobe earned $323,312,207 in his career.
It implies that a majority of his earnings came from endorsements and brand deals. In terms of brand deals, one of the most significant deals that the Mamba signed was with Nike in 2003, when he inked a four-year, $40 million contract. In 2016, Bryant also reportedly nabbed a lifetime $1 billion deal with the company.
Therefore, a huge chunk of his earnings came from the tie-up with Nike. In 2021, CBS News reported that the Kobe Bryant Estate was set to receive $400 million after Coca-Cola took full control of the Body Armor brand. Bryant had invested $8 million in Body Armor in 2014. The payout after the $5.6 billion Coca-Cola transfer paved the way for a huge payout for Kobe Bryant’s family. Therefore, his decision to sign lifetime deals has aged well in the long run.
Apart from Nike and Coca-Cola, Bryant also had deals with trading card company Panini. He also partnered with Hublot, Turkish Airlines, The Mamba Academy, and Spalding. His most controversial deal was with Crown Resorts, a casino operator that fell into legal trouble because of money laundering charges. In 2023, The Guardian reported the Crown paying a $450 million fine because of violating anti-money laundering laws.
Shaquille O’Neal’s brand deals
When it comes to Shaquille O’Neal, the list of brand deals and endorsements is non-exhaustive. In his post-basketball career, Shaq has built an incredible business portfolio. The Diesel earned $286,344,668 through his NBA contracts. But during his NBA career when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, he used the business and technological exposure of California to network with a versatile group of business advisors. These relationships have earned him a seat at the decision-making table and therefore, he has been an equity partner in various groundbreaking ventures.
In a significant move, as reported by Sports Illustrated, O’Neal became shoe brand Reebok’s Basketball President in 2023. Apart from that, he has investments in more than 50 brands alongside many endorsement deals. Shaq’s passive income through these brands is estimated to be about $60 million.
The big man did land in hot waters after his involvement with the crypto exchange platform FTX surfaced into public view. At any rate, the big fella has left a deep business imprint over hoopers looking to build a business empire. The Lakers legend knows how to tap equity opportunities in transformative technologies of our times.
