LeBron James goes for everything: on the pitch and in business. Photo: AFP
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James became the first active player in NBA history to achieve a net worth of $ 1 billion, Forbes magazine reported Thursday.
Michael Jordan, one of the NBA’s great historical players, crossed the $ 1,000 million mark but did so more than a decade after retiring in 2014 thanks to an investment in the Charlotte Hornets squad.
LeBron James, 37, is considered one of the best basketball players in history, with four NBA championship rings, four MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards and 18 All-Star Game selections.
LeBron is coming out of a pale campaign with the Lakers. Photo: Reuters
Second all-time top scorer in the league, James has managed to maximize his career and business to add more than $ 1.2 billion in profits, according to Forbes calculations.
In the NBA, James received salaries of over $ 385 million from the three teams he belonged to during his 19-year career: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Lakers.
Your business off the pitch
Off the pitch, the forward is involved in the Fenway Sports Group, a company that owns various sports teams such as England’s Liverpool and Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox.
His investment in the Blaze Pizza chain is estimated to be around $ 30 million, while his $ 80 million in real estate includes two homes in Los Angeles, California, and a mansion in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Additionally, the player earned more than $ 900 million in revenue from sponsorships, investments and other projects, such as his participation last year as an actor on the film. “Space Jam: a new era”.
LeBron in the movie Space Jam. Photo: AP
LeBron had a turbulent last season with the Lakers, missing the playoffs for the fourth time in his career. Despite this, last May he appeared in second place on Forbes’ annual list of highest paid athletes with $ 121.2 million, surpassed only by Lionel Messi (130 million).
James’s childhood was tough. He is the son of a single mother, Gloria, who gave birth at the age of 16, had to move numerous times and live with several relatives and even a coach, eventually becoming a high school basketball star.
Source: Clarin
