How much is LeBron James worth?
| Net Worth: | $850 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Basketball Player |
| Date of Birth: | December 30, 1984 (age 38) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
About LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. Ever since he became noticed while playing for St Vincent-St Mary High School, people have predicted that he would become one of the best, if not the best player of all time. Discussions during his early days with the NBA have also centered on whether he would be better than Michael Jordan himself.
Ever since he was in his teens, he was under an incredible amount of public eye, scrutiny, and pressure. Many people have named him the most hyped prospect in the history of basketball. Born by a teenage mother and a father who had criminal charges and wasn’t around, LeBron’s early life was anything but easy. He and his struggling mother move from place to place, with the hopes that his mother would land a job that would provide them with a steady income.
When LeBron was 9 years old, his mother made the difficult decisions to let him live with his local football coach, Frank Walker. It would be that man, Frank Walker, who would introduce him to the game of basketball and pave the way to one of the greatest basketball careers that the world has ever seen. Growing up, LeBron also played football, often citing that football as his first love.
Ever since he was a teenager, LeBron was under the spotlight of the media. Many college and professional coaches and scouts came to see him in Akron, Ohio, where he played as the starting point guard for his local high school team. Even as a freshman he excelled, finishing with an average of 21 points and 6 rebounds, leading his team to an undefeated season and a state title.
As his high school basketball career progressed, so did his fame and the hype increased. As a junior in high school, he was the first to be featured in magazines such as Slam. He was even the first underclassman to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That wasn’t the only piece of history LeBron created as a junior in high school. At the end of the year, he was selected as the best high school player in the nation, the first junior to do so.
Despite many offers to join a college team, LeBron James opted for the NBA draft. He felt he was ready, as did many NBA Draft analysts who projected him as the potential number 1 pick in his draft. That 2003 draft would become both famous and infamous. It is hailed as one of the greatest ever, with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh as the best players from that generation. The draft is also infamous because it included one of the biggest busts in NBA history, the Serbian center Darko Milicic who was taken at number 2.
As it became apparent that LeBron will go pro without going to college, every possible sports merchandise firm wanted to sign him as a client. There was one of the biggest bidding wars in the history of sports. During his career, Lebron has always chosen to sign onto shorter contracts to maximize his salary. When he was with Cleveland, he would sign onto a new contract at the end of each season to gain from rising salaries allowed by the NBA cap.
In 2008, Lebron James again graced the cover page of another magazine. This time, it was for Vogue‘s April edition. Lebron James became the first black NBA star to be featured on the cover. In 2019, Lebron was included in Time magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People”.
LeBron’s Total Net Worth
LeBron James currently has a base salary of $41.1 million. He is estimated to earn around $75 million dollars per year from his endorsements, including a $1 billion dollar lifetime contract with Nike. In total, James has earned estimated total career income of around $1.2 million dollars.
Of that amount, $125 million is expected to have been paid in business related costs. The remainder, $1.075 billion, will have been taxed at a rate of around 45% as James has been residing between the states of Ohio, Florida and California. After tax, it is estimated that his career earnings are at around $591.25 million dollars, having paid $483.75 million dollars in taxes.
LeBron James married Savannah James in 2013 and they remain together. They have three children together, Bronny, Bryce Maximus and Zhuri James. In his personal life, James has likely spent $30-35 million dollars of his career earnings but also probably possesses assets valued at around $10-12 million, not including investment assets. One of the things that James spends money on, is his health. He reportedly having spent $1-2 million per year to pay for personal chefs and athletic trainers, as well as for physical therapies. In his investments, he may have earned investment returns of around $250-300 million dollars. Therefore, it is estimated that LeBron James has a net worth of around $850 million dollars.
One could call LeBron James a complete package both on and off the court. His incredible success is a combination of many things, but mostly his natural athleticism and talent, his toughness mentally, and intelligent planning.
Being 6′ 9 and around 250 pounds, LeBron is built like an old school Power Forward. However, he is much more mobile and athletic than that. He moves around the floor like a guard, with incredible speed and agility for his size. His vertical leap is also a thing of myth and legend, one of the highest the NBA has ever seen.
His ability to live under the immense pressure, especially that he was under through his teen years has also been a major contributing factor to his success. It was his ability to deal with publicity and to use it to his advantage that Lebron thrived on and off the court. He has been able to use his huge popularity in a way that is unapologetic. Lebron uses his wealth and popularity to build schools, produce films and television, and even to takedown presidential egos a couple of notches, besides signing on endorsements with world renown brands like Nike, Coca Cola, Audemars Piguet, McDonald’s and Beats Electronics, to name but a few.
Summing-Up
LeBron James went from a kid living in near poverty to one of the greatest NBA players in history. Under his name are numerous MVP awards, NBA championships, Olympic medals, etc. He has managed to transition from a much-hyped junior player to a magnificent expert at every aspect of basketball. Grit, determination, combined with smart planning, mental fortitude, and athletic gifts gave us one of the greatest sports stories of all time.
