Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s top earner, says Forbes

Once upon a time, it seemed as if Kobe Bryant was in danger of giving up his place on the throne of NBA fame. He played on a middling Lakers team, was getting older, and saw young guns like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade improving at a rapid rate. Then the Lakers got Pau Gasol, Kobe won two more championships, and everyone found reasons to hate those young players. Yet time marches on regardless of accomplishments, and Kobe is getting up there in age at 33 years old. The Lakers aren't as strong a contender as they were several seasons ago, and the players who were supposed to overtake Kobe as global icons in the past are creeping closer once again. They're not quite there, though, and so Bryant continues to be the league's highest-earning player. That's according to Forbes Magazine, at least, which released its annual list of the league's top one-percenters. Here's what staff writer Kurt Badenhausen had to say (via EOB): Bryant's following has allowed him t...