Kevin Durant Is Now One of the Most Valuable Athletes in the World Thanks to Last Year's Nike Deal

It's official: Kevin Durant chose the right brand last year.

Forbes has just released its annual Fab 40 list, which ranks the most valuable names in sports by four different categories: athletes, teams, events, and brands. Coming in at No. 6 on the athletes list is Durant, who makes his very first appearance on the Fab 40 with an estimated 2015 brand value of $18 million.

This is due in large part to Durant's 2014 extension with Nike, according to Forbes. The 10-year deal could see Durant rake in as much as — wait for it — $300 million when it's all said an done. We're no experts, but it sounds like it was the right call to us.

Towards the tail end of 2014, there was talk that Kevin Durant was seriously considering Under Armour's massive endorsement offer, which was said to be as high as $285 million. Of course, the deal didn't pan out, with Nike countering the offer just in the nick of time and retaining the six-time NBA All-Star. As it turns out, this could have been one of the smartest business moves of Durant's career.

Other Nike athletes on the list include Tiger Woods at No. 1, LeBron James and Roger Federer tying for third, and soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo in the No. 8 spot.