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NBA legend Michael Jordan is one of the richest retired athletes in the world. He is the first-ever athlete to be a billionaire. However, Jordan didn’t earn a lot from NBA salaries. In fact, MJ had only earned around $90 million during his whole career in the league.

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Moreover, NBA salaries have skyrocketed now because of several reasons including inflation. However, Jordan did not mind taking a pay cut so that the Chicago Bulls could have a strong roster. And they had players to be contenders.

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But after his comeback from his first retirement, he started earning more. In his final year, he signed a $33 million extension with the Bulls. He made most of his fortune as an entrepreneur. The 6 time NBA champion made a lot from his partnership with Nike. He now owns the NBA team, Charlotte Hornets.

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As per reports, Jordan has a net worth of $1.7 billion. And he obviously knows how to spend his riches. According to reports, MJ owns an $80 million worth yacht named ‘Joy’. And it has some mindboggling amenities. Also, he owns a $61 million worth private jet. However, he will be $400 million behind superstar LeBron James in terms of salary.

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LeBron James could edge out Michael Jordan

A few days back, news broke out that LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. At 37, James has completed 19 seasons in the league. And reports suggest he has earned around $385 million in salaries during the 19 seasons.

So by 2024-25, he would have earned around a mind-numbing $500 million in salaries, which would be $400 million more than Michael Jordan. Also, as per Forbes, the four-time NBA champion would be the first active NBA player to be a billionaire.

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James was dubbed as the ‘Chosen One’ because many thought he would be the heir to the Bulls legend. Even though James plays a very different brand of basketball, he has tasted similar success on and off the court. Some could argue MJ has been more successful on the court because of his 6 rings and 5 MVP awards. However, there is doubt, that James is following the path of Jordan.

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Like MJ, the Lakers superstar starred in the Space Jam movie. James has a lifetime deal with athletic apparel legend Nike. He has revealed his desire to own an NBA franchise in the future. If anything, it looks like James has been making more moves than Jordan off the court. And it seems like he would catch up to Jordan in no time.

Can LeBron James catch up to Michael Jordan in terms of NBA titles? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

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Bagavathi Eswaran

1,520 Articles

Bagavathi Eswaran is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, having a strong passion for the sport since the age of ten. As a former college player, Bagavathi has been following the NBA for more than a decade and has found his calling in writing about the sport. He has used his expertise in covering the NBA, as well as other arenas of the sport, to write more than 1400 articles at ES. Bagavathi's pieces on the increasingly dominant presence of European basketball and those following the journey of women-ballers are particularly noteworthy. Along with being a full-time writer, he is also a part of a group of young coaches groomed as trainers by Junior NBA. Bagavathi has trained players from schools and colleges, as well as underprivileged students who can attend the camps for free.

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Pritam Priyedarshi

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