Compiled By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 22, 2016: They have or continue to make millions from the career of their choice – sports – and all are united by one other factor – they were all born in the Caribbean. Here is the News Americas top 10 list of rich Caribbean-born sports stars.
1: Tim Duncan: Taking the number one spot on the list is the U.S. Virgin Islands-born basketball star, Tim Duncan. Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, has a reported net worth of US$150 million. He earns a comparatively paltry sum of $10 million a year, ranking him 60th in top NBA salaries. Duncan also earns $2 million from endorsement contracts, according to Forbes.
2: Patrick Ewing: Jamaican-born certified hall of famer and retired NBA star Patrick Ewing’s net worth is put at US$85 million. The Kingston-born, Jamaica former New York Knicks defensive player is considered one of the greatest players in the Knicks’ storied history, as well as one of the greatest in NBA history. He is now an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets.
3: Sammy Sosa: Dominican Republic-born former Major League Baseball great, Sammy Sosa’s net worth is put at US$70 million. Sosa played baseball from 1989 to 2009, ending his career with the Texas Rangers. He achieved fame for his hitting the 600th home run of his career, becoming only the fifth player in MLB history to reach the milestone. Sosa retired from Major League Baseball in 2009.
4: Brian Lara: Trinidad-born cricket great, Brian Lara’s net worth is put at some US$60 million. The former West Indian international cricketer is one of the finest players that have ever graced the game and is most widely recognized as the greatest batsmen of his era. He holds several world records for high scoring and other cricketing records; including the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket. After multiple other scores in the sport, Lara announced his retirement from all international cricket in 2007. Five years later, he was inducted to the ICC’s Hall of Fame at the awards ceremony held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
5: Usain Bolt: The World’s fastest man, Jamaican-born Olympian Usain St. Leo Bolt, sits at fifth on this list with a reported net worth of US$30 million. Bolt makes the majority of his money from endorsement deals with brands like Gatorade, Nissan, Visa, Hublot, Virgin Media and Puma. Out of $20.3 million in earnings, $9 million came from Puma alone for him to wear their brand of shoes. Bolt also makes money through appearance fees and prize money. He charges between $250-300,000 for a track meet appearance.
6: Dwight Yorke: Trinidad and Tobago former professional soccer player Dwight Yorke may be retired from soccer but his net worth stands at some US$25 million. Yorke, nicknamed “The Smiling Assassin” for his goal scoring ability, finished his career with 147 goals in 479 appearances. He served as assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national team and gets paid by sponsorships, ads, endorsements etc.
7: Al Horford: Dominican-born Atlanta Hawks NBA star Al Horford’s net worth is put at US$20 million. The 6’10” center and power forward was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2007 and has gone on to become an NBA All-Star three times. In 2011, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team and was the NBA Shooting Stars champion. Horford has also represented the Dominican Republic in international competition, winning a Gold medal the 2012 Centrobasket and Bronze medals at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and the 2008 Centrobasket. In 2007 he signed a four year deal for $17.53 million and in 2010 he signed a five year deal for $60 million.
8: Chris Gayle: Jamaican-born West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle may get into hot water constantly for his mouth and the things he posts on social media, but his net worth is put at a whopping US$15 million. His sponsors include PepsiCo and Royal Challenge for endorsements worth US$3 million per year while his salary is estimated to be around US$4 annually.
9: Asafa Powell: Jamaican Olympic sprinter Asafa Powell has a reported net worth of US $6.5 million. Powell who specializes in the 100 metres, and held the 100m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds, like other top athletes, gets paid by sponsorships, ads, endorsements etc.
10: Patrick Chung: Kingston-Jamaica, NFL star Patrick Chung and Jamaican track star and Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce tie for the tenth spot on this list.
Chung’s net worth is put at $4 million. He signed again with the New England Patriots in 2014 after playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and has won two AFC Championships with the team. Chung’s salary though is worth only US$2 million.
Fraser-Pryce’s net worth is also estimated to be US$4 million. Fraser-Pryce became the first Caribbean woman to win 100-m gold at the 2008 Olympics at age 21. In 2012, she successfully defended her 100m title, becoming the third woman to win two consecutive 100m events at the Olympics. Nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” for her petite frame and explosive starts, she is ranked fourth on the list of the fastest 100-m female sprinters of all time, with a personal best of 10.70 seconds, set in Kingston, Jamaica in 2012.
