LeBron, Durant among world's most famous athletes in new list
If you needed proof that NBA superstars are among the world's most recognizable athletes, ESPN's World Fame 100 rankings leave no doubt.
The rankings - which take into account salary, endorsements, social media following, and Google search popularity - are dominated by ballers and footballers, with basketball stars making up 20 percent of the inaugural list.
At No. 2 - sandwiched between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - LeBron James is the highest-ranking NBA player.
Brazilian soccer star Neymar and tennis great Roger Federer round out the top five, with Kevin Durant coming in at No. 6 and the recently retired Kobe Bryant at No. 11.
Here's where other NBA players placed:
2. LeBron James
6. Kevin Durant
11. Kobe Bryant
29. Carmelo Anthony
30. Derrick Rose
33. Dwyane Wade
34. Stephen Curry
36. Dwight Howard
39. Chris Paul
43. Blake Griffin
45. Damian Lillard
48. Russell Westbrook
54. James Harden
60. Jeremy Lin
67. Kevin Love
68. Chris Bosh
79. Amar'e Stoudemire
87. Deron Williams
90. Tim Duncan
91. Rudy Gay
Among the surprises, Rose remains ahead of names like Curry, Wade, Westbrook, and Harden, while aging vets like Stoudemire and Deron Williams are still among the game's 20 most famous - and more famous, apparently, than The Big Fundamental.
In addition, how many fans would've considered the much-maligned Gay as one of the 100 most famous athletes on the planet?