Lebron James is an American professional basketball player. He was Time’s Athlete of the year in 2020. James has spent most of his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In NBA history, he is widely known as the greatest player and is compared to Michael Jordan.
However, Lebron James’s legend has earned him the nickname — King James. He is the fifth highest-paid NBA player. Hence, “Is Lebron James a billionaire?” has become a common question on the internet.
Though Lebron James has earned $1 billion throughout his 18-years of career, his estimated net worth is reported as $850 million. Thus, he hasn’t been considered as the billionaire NBA player. But, it is expected that Lebron James will be a billionaire soon.
Why is Lebron James not a billionaire?
Lebron James has grossed nearly $400 million in salary and $600 million in off-the-court earnings. He is considered to be the 5th highest-paid NBA player. Though he has grossed $1 billion, his estimated net worth became less than the billion mark after taxes.
Therefore, Lebron James is still behind the billion-dollar fortune.
What is Lebron James Net Worth?
Lebron James is estimated to have a net worth of $850 million.
Though Lebron James has earned $1.17 billion, his estimated net worth is still behind one billion. This is because he had to pay a lot of taxes.
How much does Lebron James pay for taxes?
Being the highest-paid athlete, Lebron James has to pay $17 million as a federal tax at the 39.6% maximum rate.
Besides, Lebron James has to pay taxes in every state except Washington, Texas, and Florida. Throughout an NBA season, he has to visit twenty different states. Thus, he pays a handsome amount for taxes.
How much does Lebron James make from contracts?
Lebron James’ current NBA contract is worth $85,655,532. He signed a two years contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. This contract included $85,655,532 guaranteed and a yearly average salary of $42,827,766.
Besides, Lebron James will earn a base salary of $41,180,544 in the 2021-22 NBA season. Have a look at Lebron James previous NBA contracts:
| Contract Years | Contracted Amount |
| 2003-2006 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $18,788,540 |
| 2007-2010 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $60,380,987 |
| 2010-2013 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $18,306,250 |
| 2014-2014 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $21,108,899 |
| 2015-2016 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $46,974,673 |
| 2016-2017 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $99,857,127 |
| 2018-2021 (Cleveland Cavaliers) | $153,312,846 |
How much does Lebron James make from endorsements?
In the last NBA season, Lebron James made $70 million through endorsement deals. Besides, he has grossed $725 million through endorsements!
Lebron James has signed endorsements with a ton of companies including —
- Nike
- McDonald’s
- State Farm
- Microsoft
- Coca-Cola
- Beats by Dre
- Baskin Robbins
- Dunkin-Donuts
- Samsung
Lebron James owned 1% of Dr. Dre’s “Beats by Dre”. When Beats by Dre was sold to Apple for $3 billion, Lebron James received $30 million for his ownership.
At the age of 18, Lebron James signed his first endorsement deal with Nike. The deal paid him $90 million over seven years. Later, James was offered $115 million by Reebok.
In 2015, Lebron James signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike. This endorsement deal with Lebron James is the largest deal Nike has done throughout the company’s history.
Is Lebron James the richest basketball player?
Yes, Lebron James is the richest basketball player.
Forbes ranked Lebron James as the highest-paid NBA player for the 2021-22 NBA season. In this NBA season, Lebron James earned $111.2 million. He made $41.2 million from NBA salary and $70 million from various off-the-court ventures.
How much does Lebron James make per game?
Lebron James earns $502,201 per game.
In the 2021-22 NBA season, Lebron James played for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has earned $41.2 million, playing the total NBA season. That means Lebron James has made $502,201 per game.
Is Lebron James the World’s highest-paid athlete in 2021?
No, Lebron James is not the World’s highest-paid athlete in 2021. He is No.5 World’s highest-paid athlete in 2021.
In the Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2021, Conor McGregor holds the No.1 position. His total earnings in this season is $180 million. Lebron James is following Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, and Dak Prescott in this list.
Sources
- https://bridgesdunnrankin.com/taxation-of-professional-athletes/ — Taxes for the highest-paid athletes.
- https://www.spotrac.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lebron-james-2257/ — Lebron James NBA contracts.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2021/10/14/lebron-james-scores-on-725-million-springhill-deal-with-nike-redbird-and-fenway-sports-group/?sh=5a5888c2702d — Lebron James’ endorsement with Nike.
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/12/13/the-25-highest-paid-athletes-of-all-time/?sh=3ec7f9254b64 — World’s highest-paid athletes list.