COULD YOU LIVE ON $12.3 MILLION A YEAR?

"Are Kobe's Endorsement Deals History Or Can He Bounce Back?"

�Money is in abundance, where are you?� � Rev. Ike

If all his endorsement deals go south can the Kobe Bryant household live on his mere $12.3 million-a-year Lakers salary?  Could you?  And, are Kobe�s endorsement deals history; or do you think he can bounce back?

Since he was accused of assaulting a 19-year-old white girl, number 8�s All-American crossover appeal has been tarnished, and so has his marketable image.  Up to now, the 24-year-old superstar was paid handsomely to dribble a Spalding basketball and be shown eating McDonald's food and drinking Sprite.  Nike had recently agreed to pay him at least $40 million over the next five years to wear its shoes and apparel.  The star guard of the Los Angeles Lakers had become one of the most recognizable and highly marketable athletes in sports.  Collectively, corporations pay him between $11 million and $15 million annually to attach his wide smile and winning ways image to the products it sells, buying his reputation to enhance theirs.

Now, marketing experts predict the felony assault case could cost Kobe more than $100 million in potential earnings. Recently the maker of Nutella chocolate spread said it�s phasing out endorsements from Bryant in part because of the charge.  Ferrero, an Italian company that manufactures the hazelnut-and-chocolate spread popular in Europe, said its contract with the Lakers guard expires in January.  The bilingual Bryant spent part of his childhood living in Italy.

What real difference is there between �have-a-lots� and the �have-a-heck-of-a-lots�?  If Kobe had to pursue life with just $12.3M a year, that would put him behind such players as Kevin Garnett $25.2M and teammate Shaquille O'Neal $23M; but, on par with Philadelphia's Allen Iverson at $12.3M and San Antonio's Tim Duncan�s $12M.  Society�s �have-a-lots� include: the President of the United States (annual salary - $400,000) and the Vice President ($175,400).  Members of the Senate and House leadership are paid $161,200, except for the Speaker of the House, who receives $186,300.  Representatives and Senators get $150,000. 

The majority of America�s plain �haves� live on annual average median household incomes of $44,300.  The average American's annual pay is $36,214, and the average pay of professionals (including lawyers) is $58,758.  African-Americans� average pay is $29,500.  These incomes allow most to acquire: a home, cars, savings, annual vacations, consumer goods and entertainment outings � $100 a seat for NBA games.

What would the Bryants do with $100 million the next five years anyway?  How large can one family live?  How many $4 million diamonds can Kobe give his wife?  Instead of funding urban capitalist projects, like Magic Johnson, and putting money in a foundation to help fund youth education, Kobe possibly would have took a route similar to Mike Tyson.  Tyson�s made over $300 million in his two-decade boxing career, but is now in bankruptcy with assets of $20M to $50M and debts totaling $27M.  Tyson too bought a diamond, a 40-inch white gold necklace with 80 carats worth $173,706.  His lifestyle included purchasing rugs costing $60,000, paying $100 an hour for eight-person stretch limousines, a $400,000 birthday party, buying hundreds of expensive cars and scores of multi-million dollar homes.

While majority media pundits lament Bryant losing millions of dollars in endorsement deals, it�s no big deal other than the possibility of a felony conviction?  Most Black Americans think he�s being �set up�.  The majority of us (51 percent) are still among the �have-nots� and are just pleased to see a Black Man Working (BMW); particularity at a rate 325 times that of the average American.