Sports Illustrated 'Fortunate 50' List: Floyd Mayweather and LeBron James Top List As Highest Paid Athletes In American Sports To Date

May 15, 2013 01:03 PM EDT

Sports Illustrated has recently revealed this year's Fortunate 50 list, and unlike since its start in 2004, Tiger Woods has been replaced as the No.1 highest paid athlete with someone with a little more charisma.

Undefeated boxing champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. has topped the list as the new No.1 highest paid athlete in America, doing so with just two bouts this year where he could earn as much as $128 million.

Miami Heat's LeBron James comes in at No.2, passing Kobe Bryant (No.4), Tiger Woods (No.5) and Phil Mickelson (No.6), thanks in part to $4 million more in tour winnings. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees comes it at No.3, after not making the list last year, thanks in part to a $37 million signing bonus from his new contract.

According to Sports Illustrated, candidates for the Fortunate 50 must be U.S. citizens or play in a U.S.-based league. Endorsements reflect current deals, and salaries are based on current or most recently completed seasons; for instance, for NFL players the season that ended in February was used. (Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's new deal, which will pay him $20.1 million next season, isn't reflected.) For auto racing and tennis, prize money came from the 2012 calendar year. Golf earnings are from July 1, 2012 through April 21, 2013. Boxing purses are from August 2012 through May 2013 (but projected money from bouts through September was included since fight deals are done on a yearly basis).

Below is the order and names of each athlete to make this year's list:

1.       Floyd Mayweather Jr.

2.       LeBron James

3.       Drew Brees

4.       Kobe Bryant

5.       Tiger Woods

6.       Phil Mickelson

7.       Derrick Rose

8.       Peyton Manning

9.       Alex Rodriguez

10.   Zack Greinke

11.   Dwyane Wade

12.   Kevin Durant

13.   Johan Santana

14.   Felix Hernandez

15.   Vincent Jackson

16.   Carmelo Anthony

17.   Cliff Lee

18.   Mario Williams

19.   Derek Jeter

20.   Joe Mauer

21.   Carl Nicks

22.   C.C. Sabathia

23.   Prince Fielder

24.   Amar'e Stoudemire

25.   Ryan Howard

26.   Time Lincecum

27.   Matt Schaub

28.   Mark Teixeira

29.   Calvin Johnson

30.   Matt Kemp

31.   Dwight Howard

32.   Vernon Wells

33.   Chris Paul

34.   Adrian Gonzalez

35.   Dirk Nowitzki

36.   Miguel Cabrera

37.   Pau Gasol

38.   Justin Verlander

39.   Roy Halladay

40.   Matt Cain

41.   Barry Zito

42.   Carl Crawford

43.   Joe Johnson

44.   Cole Hamels

45.   Joey Votto

46.   Albert Ujos

47.   Chris Bosh

48.   Eli Manning

49.   Dale Earnhardt Jr.

50.   Alfonso Soriano

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