LeBron James oficially a billionaire
LeBron James–18-time NBA all-star, 4-time NBA champion, 2-time Olympic gold medalist–has hit yet another milestone, this time doing something no other NBA player has ever done. After another monster year of earnings–totaling $121.2 million last year–Forbes estimates that James has officially become a billionaire, while still playing hoops. The 37-year-old superstar has a net worth of $1 billion, by Forbes’ count. James, who’s missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in 19 seasons, is the first active NBA player to make the billionaires list. (Michael Jordan, the only other basketball billionaire, didn’t hit ten figures until 2014, more than a decade after he retired, thanks to a well-timed investment in the Charlotte Hornets basketball team.)
Source: Chase Peterson-Withorn @ Forbes.com
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
BasketNews @BasketNews_com
LeBron James’ annual earnings & long-term agreements have made him the first billionaire among active NBA players 💰
But how did he get to this point & what’s the biggest fortune asset he possesses?
basketnews.com/news-172940-ho… – 9:59 AM
Monte Poole @MontePooleNBCS
The LeBron-DWade Heat tapped out after 4 years, the KD-Russ-Harden Thunder ended in 3. Shaq and Kobe won 3 titles in 8 years and ended ugly. The Steph-Draymond-Klay Warriors are the exception because of No. 30
nbcsports.com/bayarea/warrio… – 8:33 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
Fun fact: The last 4 Finals MVPs are the last 4 All-Star Game MVPs — all from Team LeBron.
LeBron (’18 ASG MVP, ’20 FMVP)
Durant (’19 ASG MVP, ’18 FMVP)
Kawhi (’20 ASG MVP, ’19 FMVP)
Giannis (’21 ASG MVP, ’21 FMVP)
Steph (’22 ASG MVP, ?) pic.twitter.com/575O3Qlt2Y – 4:15 PM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
The @Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are just the third teammates in NBA history to each record at least 400p/100r/50a through the conference finals.
They join the Thunder’s Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook (2014, 2016) and the Lakers’ LeBron James & Anthony Davis (2020). pic.twitter.com/Mi3Y4yCHVY – 3:01 PM
Alan Hahn @alanhahn
This is the top 10 players from the #NBA75 list. Steph Curry was No. 16. IF he is to become a top 10 player, who do you take out? 🤔
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Larry Bird
Tim Duncan
Oscar Robertson
Kobe Bryant – 9:09 AM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Most career points in the NBA Playoffs by a player before his 25th birthday:
2,155 – Kobe Bryant (22.2 PPG)
1,761 – LeBron James (29.4 PPG)
1,564 – Jayson Tatum (23.0 PPG)
1,547 – Tony Parker (17.2 PPG)
1,546 – Kevin Durant (28.6 PPG) pic.twitter.com/2l8GE2mrTQ – 1:01 PM
Trey Kerby @treykerby
Would like to see LeBron in an F1 car. pic.twitter.com/pK4PZdaA20 – 11:27 AM
Nick Wright @getnickwright
On this day 15 years ago a 22 year old LeBron James had the 48-Special vs DET to propel the Cavs to the Finals.
And on this day 4 years ago a 33 year old LeBron James played the finest game anyone has ever played in the history of basketball, the 51-8-8 in G1 ‘18 Finals. – 11:12 AM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart have each scored at least 20 points in the same game five times this postseason.
The NBA record for must such games in a postseason is six. It’s been done four times, most recently by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love (2016). pic.twitter.com/irEW3TopTv – 11:01 AM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
📅 On this day in 2018, the @Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James scored a postseason career-high 51 points in an overtime loss to the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
James is one of seven players in Finals history to record a 50-point game, and one of two to do so in a Game 1. pic.twitter.com/5AeQaQjdnk – 10:01 AM
Austin Kent @AustinKent
15 years ago today. Still such a defining moment of LeBron James’ legacy. pic.twitter.com/VVfDfLkWYu – 9:37 AM
Matt Williams @StatsWilliams
Jimmy Butler in 2022 playoffs:
27.4 PPG
51% FG
2.1 steals PG
The last 2 players to average 25 points, 50% shooting and 2 steals in a single postseason (min. 15 games):
LeBron James in 2016
Michael Jordan in 1991 – 1:04 PM
More on this storyline
But the real key to James’ billion-dollar fortune: He’s been more than just a pitchman. James has long structured deals to give him equity in brands he partners with, giving him a cut of the upside instead of a quick paycheck. In 2015, James walked away from an endorsement agreement with McDonald’s, worth an estimated $15 million over four years, to instead gamble on the fast-growing Blaze Pizza chain, where he’s an investor. He’s taken equity in brands like smart gym-maker Tonal and rideshare giant Lyft as well. Then there’s SpringHill, the TV and movie production outfit built by James and business partner Maverick Carter. Last October, outside investors including Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group and Epic Games bought into the venture–which helped produce the $163 million (worldwide box office gross) Space Jam: A New Legacy and HBO documentary What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali–at a $725 million valuation. James, of course, remains the biggest shareholder. -via Forbes.com / June 2, 2022
The Los Angeles Lakers fell well short of expectations on the court this season, despite LeBron James, 37, continuing to defy Father Time with the second-highest scoring average in the league and second-highest of his career. Off the court? King James crushed it. The 18-time All-Star earned $127 million during the past 12 months from the Lakers and his expanding off-court empire, according to Sportico estimates. It is the highest tally of his two-decade career and more than any other athlete on the planet. -via Sportico / May 11, 2022
James has definitely been thinking about the back end. The biggest business for James and his longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, is The SpringHill Company, which was founded in 2015 and encompasses production company SpringHill Entertainment, Uninterrupted and brand consultancy Robot. SpringHill sold a minority stake last year to a consortium led by Gerry Cardinale’s sports-focused RedBird Capital, which also included Nike, Epic Games and FSG. The deal valued the company at $725 million. Revenue for SpringHill is expected to be north of $100 million this year. Most of the cash infusion is expected to go toward building the company, and Sportico gave James only a marginal bump to his off-court earnings, which totaled $90 million, by our count. -via Sportico / May 11, 2022
