LeBron James has officially become the first NBA athlete to reach billionaire status while still playing in the league. According to Forbes, LeBron James has officially hit the billionaire mark. Forbes reported on Thursday that after a fabulously profitable year — earning a little more than $121 million. LeBron James has officially become a billionaire. According to Forbes, as successful a businessman as LeBron James has been a basketball player, James is officially the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
LeBron James is just one of two basketball players ever to hit a net worth in the tens of thousands – Michael Jordan was the first. The state he reached was almost ten years after retiring his jersey and becoming made LeBron James the first active NBA player to hit that mark. LeBron James, the basketball legend with four NBA titles, three Olympic medals, and 18 appearances in the NBA All-Star Game under his belt, is the first active NBA player to achieve billionaire status. SB Nations owner James Dett pointed out that LeBron James is the third NBA player to become a billionaire, joining an elite group that includes the Lakers legend.
Nearly eight years later, LeBron James has reached the level of a billionaire after years of remaining focused, maintaining a diverse portfolio, and never losing sight of his goals. Billionaire status has been achieved through years of strategic, various investments – always keeping in mind the goal. LeBron James, the LA Laker’s most valuable player, earned $121 million last year, both on and off the court. It is investments that LeBron James has made over the years, worth close to $400 million, that helped make him into the billionaire that he is today. Yet, as shown with other billionaires, the status seldom comes from one revenue stream.
Overall, James has earned $387 million from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as another $900 million from several other enterprises and celebrity endorsements such as a lifetime Nike sponsorship, Blaze pizza franchises, and ownership of a video production company, generating his pre-tax earnings to more than $1.2 billion. James, who was born in Ohio, had a rough upbringing since his young mother battled to make ends meet. Thanks to money training from his uncles, James made sure to save aside part of the little money he had.
With tremendous basketball skills, James got accepted by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 1999, where he recorded over 2,500 points in four years. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked James first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. His NBA debut was dubbed “one of the most remarkable in league history,” as he scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out nine assists. James went on to become a four-time NBA MVP, win four championships, and earn three Olympic gold.
