LeBron James tops Forbes' most valuable athlete brand

LeBron James topped Forbes' list of most valuable athlete brands in terms of endorsement deals and non-basketball earnings.

LeBron James topped Forbes' list of most valuable athlete brands in terms of endorsement deals and non-basketball earnings. 

James, who turns 30 in December, earned $53 million off the court in the past year and his brand is worth $37 million. For the first time since 2007, the No. 1 spot is not owned by Tiger Woods, who dropped to No. 2, followed by Roger Federer, Phil Mickelson and Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni rounding out the top five. 

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Kobe Bryant was the only other NBA athlete to crack the top 10 on Forbes' list, which included Rafael Nadal as a newcomer to the club. The tennis star's brand is worth $10 million according to Forbes' calculations. 

James signed a two-year deal with the Cavs worth approximately $42 million during the offseason.

Here are the top 10 athletes on Forbes' list:

1. LeBron James ($37 million)
2. Tiger Woods ($36 million)
3. Roger Federer ($32 million)
4. Phil Mickelson ($29 million)
5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni ($20 million)
6. Usain Bolt ($19 million)
7. Cristiano Ronaldo ($17 million)
8. Kobe Bryant ($15 million)
9. Lionel Messi ($12 million)
10. Rafael Nadal ($10 million)

-Marc Weinreich