LeBron James – Net Worth, Money and More
Net Worth: $120 million
Career/Profession: Basketball player
He is the most dominant player on the Basketball court. And being the sportsman of the year in 2012 was just another jewel in the crown for “King James”, as he is popularly called. LeBron Raymone James is a professional Basketball player of NBA. He is also one of the highest paid athletes in the world with a net worth of over $120 million.
LeBron James
James was born on 30th December 1984 in Ohio. He came from a humble background. But that did not stop him from becoming one of the greatest Basketball players in the history. Life was a struggle for his family; so for a better life, his mother allowed him to move in with the family of a local youth coach. This is when he was introduced to Basketball, at the age of 9. From then there was no looking back…
PATH TO SUPERSTARDOM
LeBron James started by playing for Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in his youth and enjoyed success at local and national level. He was already a local celebrity by the time he was in high-school. He became Ohio’s Mr. Basketball. James continued his form through High-school and into his professional career. He was selected by Cleveland Cavaliers when he was 19; so he skipped college to get into NBA. At the same time he signed a $90 million endorsement deal with Nike. In 2006, James signed a contract extension worth $60 million to be with the Cavaliers through the 2009-10 seasons. When the contract ended in 2010, he shifted to Miami Heat.
LeBron James’ basketball salary is $19 million per year but he brings in over $39 million per year in endorsements. During his first nine seasons in the NBA LeBron James earned just over $92 million in salary alone. His peak salary year so far has been the 2011-2012 season with the Miami Heat when he earned $16.02 million. In 2013, he surpassed Kobe Bryant as the highest paid basketball player in the world with earnings of $56.5 million.
He is in ad campaigns for some big companies like McDonald’s and Samsung. He also has a deal with Nike. The company signed him to a 7-year, $93 million deal right out of high school. As per Forbes estimates, he has also added $111 million to Miami Heat’s owner Mickey Arison’s net worth since he has joined the team.
Apart from Basketball, James has an interest in football too. He owns a piece of Liverpool FC soccer team. Even Warren Buffet had appreciated him, “He’s savvy. He’s smart about financial matters. It’s amazing to me the maturity he exhibits…If LeBron were an IPO, I’d buy it…At 21, I wasn’t even remotely as mature as LeBron.” Any more testimonials needed?
All the dribbling has paid off and it lets LeBron James enjoy a sweet life. He has amassed some luxurious houses, cool cars and an enviable wardrobe.
THE LUXURIOUS HOUSES
- Coconut grove mansion: LeBron James has a 6 bedroom mansion in Coconut grove. Among other luxuries, this mansion has space to dock two yachts! It’s a three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay. He bought this place in 2010 for $9 million. Apart from the grandeur of the house itself, there are other celebrities in the neighborhood to look out for.
- Ohio mansion: this is the $2 million mansion in Akron, Ohio. It is the native place of James. Apart from the 11 bedrooms, a theatre, bowling alley and a casino; a two-storey walk-in closet is the most striking feature of the house.
HIS PASSION FOR CARS IS VERY EVIDENT
LeBron with his car
It is nothing new for sports stars to have luxurious and sports car. But LeBron James goes a little further. He owns a fleet of super-duper and obviously expensive cars. From Ferrari F430 Spider, Porsche Turbo, and Chevrolet Camaro SS to Maybach 57S, Dodge challenger SRT, Mercedes Benz S63 AMG and Hummer H2 – he owns them all! He also has an Orange jeep.
PHILANTHROPY
The LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) was established in 2004 by Lebron and his mother Gloria to help out children and single-parent families in need.
Lebron has also been supporting many charitable organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Before his switch to the Miami Heat, he donated the proceeds of his hour- long interview to Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the amount totaled to over $2 million.
Apart from the many charities he donates to, LeBron promotes sports by donating sports gear and charities to gyms. Also, he had donated $ 20,000 in 2008 to committee which supported Barack Obama’s election campaign.
LeBron James with his family
CONTROVERSIES
LeBron James is as controversial as he is famous. This is bound to happen when you are in spotlight 24×7. He was criticized passionately by fans all over the world when he moved from Cavaliers to Heat in 2010. This was his most controversial move. He announced this shift on television, through a show called “The Decision.” Cleveland fans renounced him. His jerseys were burnt. Even the fans outside Ohio condemned him for being a traitor to the home team and moving to an All-star team. But obviously it was a good decision for himself and Miami.
LeBron has proven over the years that he is the most marketable athlete in the world and he accepts this fame with open arms.
