LeBron James becomes the 2nd athlete to become a billionaire (1st was Michael Jordon)

[Demovictory9]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2022/06/02/lebron-james-is-officially-a-billionaire/



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.)

"It’s my biggest milestone,” James told GQ in a prophetic 2014 interview. “Obviously. I want to maximize my business. And if I happen to get it, if I happen to be a billion-dollar athlete, ho. Hip hip hooray! Oh, my God, I’m gonna be excited."

James has done just that–maximized his business, to the tune of more than $1.2 billion in pretax earnings. He has commanded more than $385 million in salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA’s highest-paid active player. Off the court, he has raked in upwards of $900 million in income from endorsements and other business ventures.

[underpants]

1. Best player I've ever seen

We never got to see Len Bias at that level sadly.

See kids! You don’t need college. Learn a trade.

[Celerity]

2. except for

[underpants]

3. We can have that discussion

When LeBron was still in Cleveland (the first time) there was much discussion about his 3 point shooting. One season he comes out and suddenly is pretty good from 3. When asked what he did he said he heard the criticism, acknowledged it, and then practiced all,off season.

MJ was great but in today’s NBA he’d have shoot 3’s or he’d be irrelevant. It’s funny that teams used to have that one 3 shooter (Paxton and Kerr mostly for the Bulls) now everyone shoots threes.

Bias though WOW he was just amazing. For those of us in ACC land, we knew MJ was good but it was surprising how good he was once he was unleashed in the NBA. He played and ran the same plays every other #2 at UNC had for 20+ years so we couldn’t see him really let loose.

[WarGamer]

8. nah... Jordan. Easy. Clutch.

I've seen LeBron lay down in the clutch.

Jordan found another gear... every time.

[Polybius]

4. You meant second CURRENT athlete

Tiger Woods was at one time.

https://www.essentiallysports.com/pga-tour-golf-news-at-what-age-did-tiger-woods-become-a-billionaire/

Floyd Mayweather has to be close too.

[WarGamer]

9. Cristiano Ronaldo was the FIRST current/active athlete to become a billionaire in 2020.

[Celerity]

17. That is confusing career earnings with an accumulated 1 billion USD in wealth at one time.

[Ilsa]

5. Couldn't happen to a nicer man.

Love LeBron. He's the real deal.

[Celerity]

6. There 2 that dwarf him. One, Faiq Bolkiah, is not really a fair comparison. He is worth $20 billion

but almost all of his wealth is because he is a member of the Sultan of Brunei's Royal Family. He is a professional footballer (what Americans call soccer) who plays for Thai club Chonburi and was at the academies of English sides Southampton, Leicester and Chelsea - he grew up in England after being born in the United States. He has also captained Brunei's national team and spent time playing for Maritimo in Portugal.

The second is a far more legit comparison, and may well pass up Bolkiah in net worth eventually, and he made his wealth via a business venture (as Lebron's billion is counting business-gained wealth) he started 14 years ago, whilst still a pro athlete.

Mathieu Flamini, is worth $14 billion and counting. He just turned 38yo (both he and Lebron were born in 1984), and only retired in 2019. He is a former footballer who played for top teams (French side Marseille, English sides Arsenal and Crystal Palace, Italian side AC Milan and Spanish side Getafe, plus the French National team).

Flamini is the co-founder of GF (The F is for Flamini) Biochemicals, the first company in the world able to mass-produce levulinic acid. He co-founded it whilst still a player, in 2008, when he was only 24 years old.

[WarGamer]

10. Don't forget Cristiano Ronaldo... broke $1B in 2020

[Celerity]

16. That is career earnings, not accumulated wealth.

[WarGamer]

18. +1000 true...

[WarGamer]

7. Article doesn't match your claim.

There are numerous ultra wealthy former athletes.

Roger Staubach, QB of the Cowboys, 50's-70's... $600M

Tiger Woods $800M

Ion Tiriac former Tennis and Hockey Pro $1.5B

Anna Kasprzak, Olympic Dressage Rider, co-owner of ECCO shoes $1.1B

Vince McMahon... if you call WWE a sport, $2.2B





And the FIRST current athlete to become a billionaire was... in 2020



Cristiano Ronaldo

[Demovictory9]

11. maybe article should have caveat "athlete that most people have heard of"

[WarGamer]

12. I'd bet $$ that Cristiano Ronaldo is more recognizable GLOBALLY than LeBron.

[Demovictory9]

13. "athlete that most people in the USA has heard of"

[WarGamer]

14. ok I'll give you that!

Astronomers named a Galaxy after Cristiano.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Probably So

But, the NBA has left almost all other sports in the dust as far as global reach.
There's actually a half billion dollar black market in China getting hidden signals so NBA games can be streamed & for authorized gear.
It's soccer #1, a big gap, basketball #2, then an even bigger gap. Golf, tennis, track, cricket, etc. can't coompare to those two sports.
It's the one thing that actually makes the NFL envious.

[WarGamer]

20. Boy you've got that right!!

I'm watching the NHL playoffs right now and it's shocking how LOW these guys are paid...

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Way More Players On Each Team

Way fewer eyeballs overall. Less dollars divided more ways.
That said, the NHL is better than the NFL in distribution of money, because they don't have veterans making 1.5% of the highest paid player.
I think the NHL messed up 20 years ago. With the proliferation of high def, the game was much easier to watch on TV.
But, it took them 10-12 years to clear out the goons, because some troglodytes in Canada would pout.
4 winter games & hockey world cups then went by showing the best players in the world playing with no dirtiness, no fighting, no goons.
People like me only watch when the game is fast, clean & exciting.
They could have cleaned that up way before 2017, and I don't think they're done.
If I want to watch a fight I'll watch boxing or MMA. Guys on skates standing on ice does not make an interesting fight.

[Catherine Vincent]

15. I can hear the right wing hate mongers now.