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Sports Business

Those Who Are Fortunate

Since 2004, Jonah Freedman of Sports Illustrated, has been compiling The Fortunate 50: The 50 highest-earning American athletes.  It is a respected compilation of the highest grossing athletes (sport earnings + outside-the-game activities) that is quoted in books, law review articles, etc.

As noted in the piece, this is the first year since Jonah started recording figures, that the average earnings for the list, decreased.  Blame it on the economy?

Beware of the bullets:

  • 5 New York Yankees players are listed, but they all make the list because of their salaries, not an overwhelming endorsement portfolio.  Maybe LeBron James (#3 on the list) notices that meeting his endorsement potential is not all about moving to NY.  Or perhaps he believes that baseball players in NY have no chance getting as much money in endorsements as he would (a basketball player).  I still hope that he stays in Cleveland.
  • It’s not as if A-Rod’s contract is new to us, but just look at the difference in salary between Rodriguez and every other athlete on the list.  Unreal.
  • Shaq is getting old and less productive, but still making a great amount of money…especially in endorsements.  How will his love for Twitter help/hurt his ranking over the next year?
  • Teixiera and Sabathia, combined, make less in endorsements than Jermaine O’Neal?  Okay, baseball players do have some marketing hurdles to overcome.
  • Steve Francis at #22 hurts a lot more than Barry Zito at #26.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.