The “King” LeBron James was ranked second on Forbes’ list of the world’s top ten highest-paid athletes. After earning a hefty paycheck of $121.2 million in 2021.
While his Los Angeles Lakers did not make the playoffs this season; Lebron James has been securing the bag with his numerous recent off-court ventures. According to Forbes, James is worth an estimated $850 million. He received that sum after selling a significant minority stake in the production company SpringHill. Which is responsible for Space Jam: A New Legacy and his talk show, The Shop: Uninterrupted.
Besides that, the Ohio native has secured lucrative endorsement deals with companies such as Crypto.com; where he immediately starred in a Super Bowl commercial with a computer-generated version of young Bron; Tonal, a home gym company; and StatusPRO, a sports VR training startup.
James broke his previous 2020 record of $96.5 million. Big bucks are required in the world of the four-time MVP, who is said to spend over a million dollars a year on body care and conditioning.
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He follows soccer player Lionel Messi, who has amassed an estimated $130 million in wealth. In the paint, King James earned $41.2 million, with $80 million going to non-NBA projects.
Other brand endorsement deals include; 2K Sports, AT&T, Beats Electronics, Coca-Cola, GMC, KIA Motors, Nike, RIMOWA, Walmart, Ruffles, Mountain Dew, and Wheaties.
While the Forbes list only includes men, three other Black NBA superstars made the cut. They are, Warriors’ Stephen Curry at No. 5 with $92.8 million earned, Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant at No. 6 with $92.1 million earned, and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 10 with $80.9 million earned.
