Forbes: LeBron James passes Tiger Woods as most valuable athlete brand

LeBron James is a pretty big deal.

Two-time NBA champion, four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 10-time NBA All-Star, greatest basketball player on the planet, and so on. There's a reason his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years in South Beach sent shockwaves through the league and has been covered – before, during and after – more than perhaps any other athlete move in history.

James's popularity also extends to the boardroom, with a recent Forbes study ranking James as the most valuable athlete brand in all of sports:

For the first time since 2007 the top athlete brand is not Tiger Woods. This year the top spot belongs to LeBron James, who will be rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers after four seasons and two NBA titles with the Miami Heat. James pulled in $53 million off the court during the past year and his brand is worth $37 million, which is the amount his endorsement and non-basketball earnings exceeded the average of the top 10 off the court earners in the NBA.

What's more, Nike is the most valuable sports brand overall, worth an estimated $19 billion. James is, of course, Nike's marquee endorser.

The Los Angeles Lakers also cracked the top 40 most valuable sports brands, thanks in large part to their incredible local television deal. The Lakers are the only NBA team to crack the top 10 for sports franchises, ranking 10th. 

Kobe Bryant, a Nike endorser and Laker, ranked eighth among athletes with a $15 million brand value.