“He Only Earned $387 Million on the Court”: Warriors Veteran Breaks Down How Billionaire LeBron James Strategically Planned His Massive Wealth

Published 06/12/2022, 9:00 AM EDT

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LeBron James is one of the wealthiest athletes in the world. He was ranked as the second highest-earning athlete over the past 12 months after another monster year of earnings. Bron has accumulated a wealth of riches due to his various business ventures and smart investments.

LeBron is a four-time NBA champion, 18-time All-Star, and two-time Olympic Gold medalist among a plethora of achievements on the court. According to Forbes, LeBron joined the billionaire club and in doing so, became the first active NBA player on the list. James has earned a lot of money in the form of his salary.

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But most of his wealth is accumulated from investments off the court. He is advised by his team, led by Maverick Carter and Rich Paul, who have played an instrumental role in making LeBron a billionaire.

WATCH THIS STORY: LeBron James’ best investments over the years

LeBron has maximized his business to upwards of $1.2 billion in pre-tax earnings. He is the NBA’s highest-earning active player. He has made more than $385 million in the form of his salary. Over the past year, deals with Nike, AT&T, Walmart, and PepsiCo have helped him reach the billion mark.

The wealth of LeBron James

James is not only a genius on the court, but off it as well. He has always taken every decision after carefully examining it and consulting with his team. Coming out of high school, LeBron inked a deal with Nike which eventually got converted into a lifetime contract. He has always structured deals to give him equity in brands he partners with.

USA Today via Reuters

Former NBA Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors, Andre Iguodala discussed with Evan Turner how LeBron managed to get so wealthy on their podcast ‘Point Forward‘. “I think we laugh and say he’s only made $387 million on the court”, Iguodala talked about how much Bron has made playing the game of basketball. He added, “He was strategic just to get to $387 (million) because the way he was structuring his contracts”. Iggy put it all very well saying, “You’ve got to forecast the future and Bron was on it.” 

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Talking about LeBron’s deal with Nike, Iguodala said, “It might not be LeBron selling his shoes, but people that are wearing Nike because of LeBron.” Evan Turner agreed, “Legacy wise they’re going to make so much money.” Both of them being NBA players themselves, know how smartly LeBron earned all his wealth.

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LeBron James is a legend of the game of basketball. Very few have achieved what he has been able to accomplish in his career. LeBron has made sure he will continue to make big money even after he’s done playing basketball.

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Written by:

Pragya Vashisth

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Pragya is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed Masters in Sports Management from the International Institute of Sports Management, Mumbai, he has been a passionate fan of the NBA since 2010. Pragya is a massive supporter of LeBron James and just wants to enjoy the twilight years of his Hall of Fame career.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani