LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry among Forbes' highest-paid athletes for 2024

The NFL is the unquestioned leader among North American sports leagues, but the NBA beats it in one way that might be important to the star athletes of tomorrow: the amount of money to be made by its top players. That was made clear by the release of Forbes' annual list of The World's 10 Highest-Paid Athletes, which features LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry all ahead of the first NFL player.

James comes in at No. 4 for 2024, trailing only soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo (who topped the list for the fourth time) and Lionel Messi plus golfer Jon Rahm. None of the other members of the top 10 could match LeBron's $80 million in off-court endorsements, though the $48.2 million he made playing for the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't too shabby either.

Antetokounmpo slots in right behind James with $111 million in earnings over the past year, including $65 million from his endorsement deals with the likes of Pepsi and Nike. Curry is No. 9 on the list, with his $102 million split almost evenly between his contract with the Golden State Warriors and his off-court revenue.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the lone NFL representative on this year's list, and Forbes gives him credit as a DIY success story of sorts. The two-time NFL MVP negotiated his own contract that included a $72.5 million signing bonus, boosting his on-field earnings over the last 12 months to an impressive $98.5 million — more than James and Antetokounmpo combined.

Other quarterbacks could join or leap Jackson on next year's list. Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff figures to be one of them, as his recently signed extension includes a $73 million signing bonus. Other quarterbacks such as Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Dak Prescott may also be in line for similar front-loaded deals in the near future.

Still, the top NBA stars are comfortably above their NFL counterparts, and that's not likely to change even with the NFL feeling like an unstoppable money-making machine. For the time being, jump shots and dunks still beat out touchdowns when it comes to maximizing earning potential for athletes in the U.S.