In 2022, Forbes declared LeBron James has become the first active NBA player to amass over $1 billion in net worth. In the NBA, he only shares the billionaire status with business mogul Michael Jordan. But Jordan took around a decade after his retirement to touch the billionaire mark. LBJ has had significant advantages in terms of contract over Jordan. The salaries have shifted dramatically because of inflation and the rising NBA market. Apart from that, James has also taken advantage of the endorsements that have flooded the market. However, it is his business acumen that has been the biggest reason for the rise.

Thanks to these endorsements, he can transcend the value that he makes with his salary. Let us look at how much-estimated money he will be making both on the court and off the court.

LeBron James has an impressive body of work

Sportico published a report about the highest-paid players in the NBA for the upcoming season. They included both the current batch of salary and endorsements.

According to the list, LeBron James is at the top, amassing a whopping $127.6 million in a year alone. He is around $26 million ahead of Stephen Curry, who is second in the list.

Earning $79,992,650 (almost $80 million) through off-the-court deals, King James is the only player whose endorsement earnings outpace his contract. He is set to earn $47.5 million through his salaries, therefore, his off-the-courts account for about 62% of his total earnings. 

This $47.5 million figure puts him fourth on the list in terms of salary, but he shoots up to number one when adding his off-the-court endeavors. It is because he has taken an equity approach for a long time. He has been associated with Nike for more than 20 years and has invested in the brand to bring profits through shoe deals and apparel under his name.

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This has helped him both to be a decision-maker and also the one who gets the cream of the profit.

James doesn’t shy away from taking risks

For example, he bought 10% of stakes in Blaze Pizza and for this; he sacrificed his McDonald’s deal, which had a pay-for-work situation. Looking to build his brand, King James became an investor in Blaze when it wasn’t even generating a million worth of profit. According to Bloomberg’s marketing expert Jon Erlichman, in 2019, the company generated $400 million in revenues. This risk-taking attitude proves that he knows where to put his money.

Considering Blaze as a project and McDonald’s just as a paycheck, James had once said, “We get to build this. If it doesn’t become successful, I can only blame myself”. Having been scrutinized all his NBA careers, he isn’t bothered by the spotlight on him. As a result, he may surpass the $2 billion mark in a couple of years.

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