Forbes just released its 2026 list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, and while the ranking is packed with global sports giants, there’s only one Canadian in the top 50 (and yes, he’s from Toronto).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander landed at No. 24 on the annual list, with Forbes estimating his total earnings at USD $69.3 million ($39.3 million in on-court earnings and another $30 million off the court), which works out to about CAD $95 million.
In 2024-25, the 27-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder guard led his team to a franchise-record 68-14 regular-season record and Oklahoma City’s first NBA championship, while also winning the regular-season MVP and NBA Finals MVP.
The 6’6” guard followed that up with another historic season: earlier this spring, he broke one of Wilt Chamberlain’s long-standing records, surpassing Chamberlain’s 126-game streak of scoring 20 or more points. The new record came during a March win over the Boston Celtics, where Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points as the Thunder beat the Celtics 104-102. And because Gilgeous-Alexander can’t stop winning, earlier this week, he added yet another major honour: winning the NBA MVP award for the second consecutive year!
Long before he became one of the NBA’s biggest names, Gilgeous-Alexander had somewhat more humble beginnings in Ontario. Growing up in Hamilton, he wasn’t exactly considered a basketball star. He was famously cut from the St. Thomas More junior team in the ninth grade and ended up playing for the school’s somewhat less glamorous midget squad. But that team went on to win the city championship, which was perhaps an early glimpse of his potential: Gilgeous-Alexander was named team MVP, naturally.
The 50 athletes on this year’s Forbes list earned a combined $4.1 billion over the past 12 months, with the list featuring athletes from 18 countries and eight sports. Although the largest contingent of pros comes from basketball, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo leads the ranking for the fourth straight year, with estimated earnings of $300 million.
You can see the full list here.
