Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is truly one-of-a-kind, not just with his basketball abilities on the court, but also everything he does off of it as well. James is one of the most marketable players the NBA has ever seen and his number of ventures has made him one of the most recognizable people in the world.
Of course, it has also made him one of the richest athletes on the planet. While he has obviously made the most he can in the NBA, the majority of his wealth comes from outside investments, endorsements and projects such as his new movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which topped the charts in its opening weekend.
All of this has allowed James to accomplish something no other NBA player has while still in the league. According to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, James has become the first active player to reach $1 billion in career earnings:
LeBron is 1st NBA star with $1 billion in career earnings–salary/endorsements–while still active. Next up among current players:
KD: $580 million
Curry: $430 million https://t.co/zrfncDk7Lf via @sportico— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) July 22, 2021
This goes to show just how massive LeBron is off the court as even the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who were absolutely huge in terms of marketing and endorsements, never quite got to this level of earnings while playing. James has done an absolutely masterful job of not only gaining huge endorsement deals but also creating his own companies in different mediums.
James’ IQ on the basketball court is one of his biggest strengths and that extends off the court as well. It is also worth noting that James has reached this point despite being one of the most outspoken athletes in the world, having no problems stating his opinion on any topic, regardless of the controversy it may cause.
Regardless of where he sits on your all-time players list, it is extremely hard to question that James has made all the right moves off of it and is in a league of his own when it comes to that.
James congratulates Antetokounmpo for winning NBA Championship
Even though James is busy with his off-court things right now, he still closely followed the playoffs even appearing at Game 5 of the close series. The Milwaukee Bucks ultimately came away with the NBA Championship as Giannis Antetokounmpo put forth one of the greatest closing game performances in league history.
LeBron took to social media to congratulate Giannis after accomplishing his goal of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in addition to taking home Finals MVP. Obviously when the two are on the court opposite one another they will battle, but there remains a mutual respect and James recognizes the work Antetokounmpo put in to get to the top of the mountain.
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