THEY don’t call him King James for nothing.
The LA Lakers star’s future is up in the air, after he admitted he is considering his future following his team’s defeat to the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals.
That would mean kissing goodbye to a two-year extension he previously agreed worth $50million-a-year, that would take his total earnings in the NBA to $532million.
But James can sleep easy knowing he has a lifetime deal with Nike signed in 2015 that could be worth as much as $1billion, in addition to plenty of other sponsors.
The 38-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels, though.
He has ploughed his money into various business ventures, and is a part-owner of Premier League giants Liverpool FC and MLB super franchise Boston Red Sox.
Wealth beyond his dreams
Cleveland-born LeBron often modestly calls himself “just a kid from Akron”.
But there’s nothing ordinary about his financial muscle.
During his 20-year career, his contracts with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and now LA Lakers have given substantial riches.
Should he stay on with the Lakers and fulfil his contract extension, he will become the highest-earning NBA star of all time.
Better still, off the court the money continues to pour in.
Away from basketball, he makes roughly around $120million-per-year from endorsements. Only Argentina football legend Lionel Messi earns more.
He has contracts with AT&T, Walmart, Intel, Kia, and Beats by Dre. The latter allowed him to dig into his contacts book and gift the entire Ohio State Football team headphones before their matchup against the Badgers in 2022.
However, it’s the monster deal with Nike that dwarfs all of those.
The moment LeBron stepped out of St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, he was handed a seven-year $93million contract with the sportswear brand.
In 2015, with his standing on the same level as Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, Nike signed the four-time NBA champion on a lifetime deal that could be worth as much as $1billion, and includes his own fashion wear.
And they gave him his own building…
So revered by Nike, the company named an amazing building after him.
The LeBron James Innovation Center is a 750,000 square-foot sports research lab that sits in the heart of their campus in Oregon.
Inside, there’s a full-size basketball court that would put most NBA teams to shame.
It comes complete with data tracking systems that give a better understanding of the movements and forces of athletes.
A collection of Lebron’s shoes are displayed in a glass case.
While, grafitti art celebrating his life his painted on some of the walls.
‘Savvy’
Business magnate Warren Buffet once said of Lebron, “He’s savvy. He’s smart about financial matters.”
How he has invested his money has meant he will continue to earn a fortune, long after he has retired from basketball.
In 2020, he poured his money into the premium tequila brand Lobos 1707, alongside Hollywood movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Selling at around $50 a bottle, they reportedly sell over 100,000 cases a year.
LeBron also owns a 2 per cent stake in Liverpool FC, which he paid an initial $6.5million for.
Today, with the Premier League club worth over $4billion – his share is said to be worth around $32million.
In 2021, he bought into Fenway Sports Group (Liverpool’s partner operation) to own a slice of the Boston Red Sox.
His production company SpringHill, named after the housing community he grew up in, is also a major success story.
Formed only three years ago, its board of directors include Serena Williams and they have deals in place with the likes of Disney and Universal Pictures.
Already, they have produced What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali for HBO, Hollywood movie Space Jam: A New Legacy and Netflix movie Hustle starring Adam Sandler.
In 2021, they sold a significant minority stake in the company that was then valued at around $725million.
Boy toys
James’ astonishing success has allowed him to live a life to envy.
His property portfolio includes a number of homes in LA, including a $51million Hollywood Hills mansion he resides in that features an infinity pool overlooking the city, a cigar room and a golf simulator.
Then there’s his astonishing car collection.
His garage features a $450,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, a $234,000 Ferrari 458 Spyder, $207,000 Porsche 911 Turbo S, and a Mercedes-Maybach 57 S costing $380,000.
However, the most expensive in his collection is his $670,000 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster that has a has a custom paint job to match the floral print on his LeBron X1s.
Despite all of that he’s been called ‘cheap’…
Former team-mate Dwayne Wade once called Lebron the “cheapest guy in the NBA”.
Amusingly, that claim was backed up when he admitted he refuses to switch on data roaming on his mobile phone and use it without Wi-Fi.
“No, I’m not doing that,” LeBron said. “I’m not turning on data roaming, I’m not buying no apps, I still got Pandora with commercials.”
On hearing that, Pandora gave LeBron a free premium account.
But he doesn’t skimp when it comes to his body – splashing $1.5million per year to stay fit.
He uses a cryotherapy chamber to aid his recovery and employs a former Navy SEAL who serves as his biomechanist, as well as a recovery coach, personal chefs, and masseuses.
You don’t become the best if you’re only interested in half-measures.
