Salary/Winnings: $23.5m Endorsements: $26m Despite announcing his intention to retire at the end of the 2015/16 NBA season, Kobe Bryant remains one of the sport's biggest earners. He is the ultimate loyalist, having spent the entirety of his professional career in the purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers - helping the franchise to five championships in the process. He may have taken a $7m pay cut on his salary in 2014, but You'd expect a star as big as Bryant to rake in a large figure in terms of endorsements, and the self-proclaimed Black Mamba certainly did so in 2015. He's linked to Nike and Hublot (among others), but stands to make a lot more if Kobe Inc (est. 2013) continues to thrive. The company owns over 10% of BodyArmour, with Bryant himself set to contribute on the board of directors. Could this be the start of a Jay Z-esque business empire?
