He was already the king of the NBA, but LeBron James can now add billionaire to his legacy.
Considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, NBA player of all time, LeBron is the first active athlete in the league to make the billionaire Forbes list.
The only other NBA player who has made it to $1 billion mark is the original GOAT, Michael Jordan.
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But Jordan reached the milestone 10 years after his retirement in 2014.
Last year LeBron earned a whopping $121.2 million, which helped tip him over to billionaire status (upwards of $1.2 billion in earnings before tax, according to Forbes estimates).
At 37 years old, he’s the highest-paid active player in the NBA, with earnings of more than $385 million.
That comes from the salary earned at the three teams he’s led to NBA titles: the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and of course his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.
But it’s what LeBron makes off the court that makes his wealth soar.
He’s paid north of $900 million for endorsements and business investments.
Some of these earnings come from The Spring Hill Company ($300 million), Fenway Sports Group ($90 million), his real estate portfolio ($80 million) and Blaze Pizza chain ($30 million).
The Spring Hill Company includes the entertainment branch behind Space Jam: A New Legacy, which James starred in last year.
Years ago, the NBA champion spoke about reaching the billionaire milestone.
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“If I happen to be a billion-dollar athlete, ho. Hip hip hooray! Oh, my god. I’m gonna be excited,” he told GQ back in 2014.
Despite a rough season for the Lakers, seeing LeBron miss the playoffs for only the fourth time in his long career, we hope this will soften the blow a little for him.
Quick LeBron James facts
- Hails from Akron, Ohio
- In 2003, he was the No. 1 NBA Draft Pick
- Four-time NBA champion
- Four-time NBA most valuable player
- Played for Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat
- Currently plays for Los Angeles Lakers
Also, I needed to include this just because it’s a VERY important NBA pop culture moment:
NBA star’s wild car collection
- Mercedes-Maybach 57S
- Mercedes-Maybach S650
- Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Ferrari 599
- Ferrari 458 Spider
- Ferrari F430
- Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
