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21
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Boxing
Last Year's Rank: NR
$20,000,000
$250,000
$20,250,000
Pretty Boy is the latest De La Hoya foe made very rich by the Golden Boy: Bernard Hopkins earned $15 million in '04 from his two-fight deal with Oscar.
22
Michelle Wie
Golf
Last Year's Rank: NR
$735,224
$19,500,000
$20,235,224
Holdin' it down for the ladies: With endorsement deals eclipsing $10 million and six-figure appearance fees, Wie should be a fixture on the 50 for years.
23
Vince Carter
New Jersey Nets (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 27
$15,101,625
$5,000,000
$20,101,625
If Vinsanity opts out of his contract, as some speculate, he'll leave $16.4 million on the table for next season -- the highest salary of his career.
24
Michael Vick
Atlanta Falcons (NFL)
Last Year's Rank: 10
$13,000,000
$7,000,000
$20,000,000
Good thing Vick was paid a roster bonus of $7 million in March -- he'll need the money for a nasty legal battle surrounding his dog-fighting allegations.
25
Jason Kidd
New Jersey Nets (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 26
$18,084,000
$1,500,000
$19,584,000
If the Nets can trade J-Kidd for expiring contracts, they'll clear $41.1 million in cap space by jettisoning a point guard who will be 36 when contract expires.
26
Stephon Marbury
New York Knicks (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 29
$17,184,375
$2,000,000
$19,184,375
Starbury knows how to give back: In addition to his $15 line of sneakers, his $1 million donation to Katrina relief efforts was one of biggest by an athlete.
27
Jermaine O'Neal
Indiana Pacers (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 28
$18,084,000
$750,000
$18,834,000
O'Neal's mammoth seven-year, $127 million contract will make him the NBA's second-highest paid in '09-10 (behind No. 13 McGrady) at $23 million.
28
Chris Webber
Detroit Pistons (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 16
$18,307,008
$500,000
$18,807,008
Exit clause: C-Webb paid his former employers in Philadelphia $2 million to be bought out of his deal so he could sign with hometown Pistons.
29
Jalen Rose
Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Last Year's Rank: 38
$18,441,500
$250,000
$18,691,500
Rose is the latest benefactor of the salary-dumping Knicks' roster purge: New York bought him out for $15.1 million after cutting him last October.
30
Brett Favre
Green Bay Packers (NFL)
Last Year's Rank: 31
$11,000,000
$7,000,000
$18,000,000
Why Old Gray-Beard has incentive to pull a George Blanda: His current deal tops out at $14 million in salary in 2010 -- when Favre will turn 41.
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Sources: salaries, winnings and bonus figures from players' associations, tour records, agents and news reports. Endorsement estimates from Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing, other sports-marketing executives and analysts, and agents. Salaries based on current or most recently completed seasons (exception: 2007 for NFL). For winnings-based sports (auto racing, golf, tennis), 2006 calendar year amounts used.
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