Nothing will make you feel quite as poor as reading a Forbes list about the rich.
In this case, it's the annual ranking of the 100 highest-paid athletes worldwide, all of whom made at least $25 million in the last year.
What's interesting about this particular list, though, is that because of the timing and methodology, there is just one Minnesota athlete who cracks the top 100: Andrew Wiggins of the Timberwolves.
The list takes into account salary and endorsement earnings from June 1, 2018 through June 1, 2019. Wiggins, who played the first season under his max extension, made $25.5 million on that deal plus another $600,000 in endorsements, for a combined $26.1 million — good for No. 91 on the list.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins must have just missed it. Though his deal pays him $28 million on average, his money is split up in a way that his cap hit in 2018 was $24 million. He should join Wiggins on the list next year after his cap figure swells to $29 million in 2019 — as should Karl-Anthony Towns, whose max extension kicks in this year.
NBA: 35
NFL: 19
MLB: 15
Soccer: 12
Golf: 5
Boxing: 5
Tennis: 5
Auto racing: 2
Cricket: 1
MMA: 1
You'll notice that three major U.S. pro leagues account for a combined 69 of the 100 top-paid athletes, led by 35 NBA players. You'll also notice that there are more cricket players than hockey players on the list.
