What is LeBron James net worth?
Net Worth: | $480 Million |
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Salary: | $37.44 million per year |
Date of Birth: | December 30, 1984 |
Age: | 39 years old |
Nationality: | American |
Source of Wealth: | Professional Basketball Player, TV Producer, Voice Actor, Screenwriter |
Last Update: | 2020 |
Table of Contents
Introduction
LeBron James is an American basketball player who plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers. Touted as one the best in the sport, he is an eminent candidate for the title of Greatest of All Time in basketball. His stellar performance so far in his 17 years career has drawn comparison to NBA great, Michael Jordan.
James’ amiable basketball antics, which centers mostly on his incredible build, speed, and accurate jumps, have seen him feature in 8 successive NBA Finals, a record number. But James has been able to see things through to glory on three of those eight occasions.
James holds several significant records in the league. He currently ranks as the player with the most points in the NBA playoffs. An exceptional sportsman, LeBron James has set the bar high for what an incredible basketball career should be. With more years ahead of him in the NBA, we can only imagine the record, LeBron James can achieve in the NBA.
With an emphasis on LeBron James’ worth, we’ll review his early life, career, salary, earnings, endorsements, facts, and lessons from his wealth and success.
LeBron James Early Life
Born on December 30, 1984, to Anthony McClelland and Gloria Marie James, LeBron James had a tough childhood. His father was involved in crime and didn’t care to be involved in the life of his son. LeBron’s mother, who was a teenager when he was born, precisely age 16, was left with the task of raising young LeBron. Living with limited financial resources, LeBron and his mother had to relocate to various apartments in Akron, Ohio, frequently. Aside from this, his mother found it difficult to find stable employment.
At the age of 9, LeBron James was introduced to basketball by Frank Walker, who was a football coach in Akron. His mother on seeing LeBron will fare better in a stable family permitted LeBron to move in with Frank Walker and his family. James played basketball at Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), where he forged a formidable squad will three if his friends, which earned them the nickname Fab Four.
LeBron James attended a high school dominated by whites. Right from his freshman days, he had begun to impress. Throughout his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, he earned several awards, such as his sophomore year Ohio Mr. Basketball, his junior year, Gatorade National Player of the Year. He also led his school to divisional success on three occasions.
LeBron also played high school football. Although he didn’t play in his senior year in high school, it was speculated by NFL coaches, players, and critics, that he could have played in the league.
LeBron James Career, Contracts, Achievements
LeBron James entered the 2003 NBA Draft and was selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then signed a $12.9 million three years deal with the franchise. In his debut season, LeBron earned the first-ever Rookie of the year award by a Cleveland Cavaliers player. It was until his 2006 season that LeBron achieved a new level of fame in the NBA. In his second NBA All-star appearance, LeBron earned the All-star game MVP award and emerged second in the league MVP voting.
After his incredible 2006 season, James signed a four-year deal with the Cavaliers worth $60.3 million. After his 2007 Eastern Conference championship win, he had his eyes set on the NBA Championship. Though he didn’t achieve his goal in the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons, LeBron claimed the MVP awards in the 2009, 2010 season for his impressive performance.
After about six seasons with no championship win with the Cavaliers, LeBron sort moving to the Miami Heats, a decision which sparked criticism for the star. LeBron thus became one of the most disliked athletes in the US.
LeBron penned a six-year deal worth $110 million with the Heats. In his first season with the Heats, he came close to winning his first NBA Championship, but the Dallas Mavericks proved to be a tough side. Ahead of the 2012 season, LeBron trained with Hakeem Olajuwon, and this proved to be hugely beneficial for him as he went on to win two successive NBA Championships in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. LeBron was also named the Finals MVP.
His 2012 and 2013 seasons vaulted him to a new level in his career as he recorded enormous success which includes winning the championship, NBA Finals MVP, and NBA MVP award. He attempted to claim a Fourth NBA title, but San Antonio Spurs triumphed.
After his 2014 season, LeBron James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers for a two years deal worth $42.2 million. At Cleveland, James forged an attacking trio with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. After a failed attempt to end the Cavaliers NBA Championship drought in the 2015 season, LeBron eventually succeeded in the 2016 season. He was named the finals MVP.
In 2018, LeBron James bowed out of the Cavaliers, this time with no criticisms. He thus penned a $153.5 million four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2019 season marked the first time in the second decade of the 21st century that he didn’t play in the NBA Finals.
Highlight
Below are some of the best LeBron James’ career highlights.
- Three-times NBA champion
- Three-times NBA Finals Most Valuable Player
- Four-times NBA Most Valuable Player
- Sixteen-times NBA All-Star
- Three-times NBA All-Star Game MVP
- Twelve-times All-NBA First Team
- Five-times NBA All-Defensive First Team
LeBron James Net Worth in 2020
LeBron James’ net worth is valued at $480 million in 2020, which ranks him as one of the wealthiest NBA players as well as most affluent athletes in the world. The Los Angeles Lakers star is the wealthiest active basketball player currently. His fortune has seen a notable increase in less than two years. In 2018, Forbes reported that he was worth $450 million.
With his increasingly expanding businesses and endorsement portfolios coupled with his exorbitant paychecks in the NBA, it’ll only be a matter of time before he crosses the $500 million mark. Aside from his basketball career and endorsements, LeBron’s entire worth is boosted by his other notable sources of income, which include various business endeavors.
His business ventures include a minority stake, which he owns in the English Premier League club, Liverpool. He has more than a dozen franchises of Blaze Pizza. James co-owns a movie production company SpringHill Entertainment, which produced The Wall, More than a Game, Becoming, and the animated series The LeBrons.
In 2015, LeBron James, who owned a minority stake in Beats by Dre, made about $30 million following the company’s acquisition by the tech giant, Apple.
LeBron James Salary in 2020
LeBron James ranks as one of the highest-paid players in the NBA. Throughout his 17 years career, he has earned about $300 million in salary — a massive sum compared to the entire career earnings of NBA legend, Michael Jordan. For the 2019/20 season, LeBron James’ salary is about $37,436,858, which ranks him as the most paid forward and sixth highest-paid star in the NBA. James is also the highest-paid Lakers player as of 2020.
LeBron James Endorsements & Sponsorships
LeBron James is the NBA Player with the most endorsement deals. Fresh from high school, he was in the center of an endorsement tussle between Adidas, Nike, and Reebok. He signed with Nike for about $90 million for seven years, which translates to about $12.8 million per year. This amount was noticeably lower from what Reebok offered — $115 million. In 2015, James signed a lifetime deal with Nike, worth over $1 billion. As of 2020, Nike pays James as much as $20 million per year for his signature shoe lines.
LeBron James currently has endorsement and sponsorship deals with KIA Motors, Coca-Cola, RIMOWA and Beats Electronics.
LeBron James Luxury Life
Houses & Real Estate
LeBron James owns a $23 million mansion in Brentwood. The real estate has 8 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a terrace patio, an onyx bar, a spare, an exorbitant outdoor pool, a cigar room, a game room, a home theatre and an outdoor kitchen.
James also owns another Mansion in Summit County. His mansion in Ohio has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a sports bar, a bowling alley, and a recording studio. LeBron James bought the house in 2003 and developed it to his taste.
Private Jet
If you expect a man like James with $480 million fortune to have a private jet, you wouldn’t be wrong. James is a proud owner of a Gulfstream G280 Jet, which is worth about $22 million.
Car Collection
LeBron James’ car collection includes a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, a Bentley Continental GT, a Hummer H2, a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a Kia K900, a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, a Rolls- Royce Phantom, and a Maybach 57S.
Lessons from LeBron’s Worth & Success
Now that you know the exciting story about LeBron James’ rise to success and worth, here are two lessons from the top NBA star.
1. Never let your background hinder you
Despite coming from an impoverished background, James never looked back at his miserable childhood but instead used that as a motivation to succeed.
2. Hard work is key
Most NBA players display the supreme quality of hard work. Unlike most of his peers, LeBron began playing basketball at the age of 9. Despite this, LeBron made up for the time he didn’t spend playing the sport by training hard and regularly, and soon he became even more successful than players who have been playing basketball right from their infant years.
Conclusion
LeBron James’ rise to success is an excellent source of inspiration for not just aspiring athletes but pretty much anyone, especially those from deprived backgrounds.
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