The eternally single team captain for the once mighty New York Yankees earned $22 million on the field with another $8 million from endorsements bringing his total income to $30 million.

Football's lone representative on this list, the quarterback earned $17.5 million on the football field while bringing in $13 million in endorsements for a total of $30.5 million.

What a happy man Kevin Garnett must be after landing with defending NBA world champions Boston Celtics. Garnett earned $22 million on the court while raking in $9 million in endorsements bringing his total to a healthy $31 million.

Baseball's greatest player earned an incredible $29 million on the field this year while bringing in a relatively modest $6 million in endorsements, tying A-Rod with Shaquille O'Neal with a total income of $35 million.

With $20 million in salary from his new team the Phoenix Suns and another $15 million in endorsements, Shaq came up with a cool $35 million this year.

Right smack in the middle of this most elite list, the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar made $19,490,625 in salary this year while bringing in $16 million in endorsements for a combines income of $35,490,625.

This one caught me entirely by surprise. How did the Pretty Boy jump from No. 21 last year to No. 4 now? By earning $20 million in the ring and another $20,250,000 in endorsements bringing his total earnings just past the $40 million mark.

A serious business entrepreneur off the basketball court, LeBron James' salary was $12,455,000 and he raked in another $28 million in endorsements landing him at No. 3 on the list of richest athletes with a combined total of $40,455,000.

It's not entirely surprising that golf's probable No. 2 best player would appear on this list but it's surprising that he's landed at No. 2 overall with $9.3 million in winnings and a staggering $53 million in endorsements giving him a total of $62,373,685.

Still in his early thirties, Tiger Woods made nearly $23 million on the golf course and brought in a whopping $105 million in endorsements giving him a total of $127,902,706 and the No. 1 ranking for the fifth straight year as richest athlete. He should become the first billion-dollar athlete in the next couple of years.