LeBron James, nicknamed King James, is currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and is arguably the greatest player to ever set foot on a Basketball court. From his modest origins in Ohio to becoming one of the legendary sports athletes of all time, Lebron James’ story is an inspiration for everyone out there.
There is no questioning his basketball heritage as he surpassed NBA legend and Hall of Famer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to become the NBA’s all-time regular season scoring leader in 2023. He became the first player to pass the 40,000 regular season points mark on 2 March 2023—a record that stood untouched for 40 long years.
The American had an illustrious basketball career, scooping awards year after year after at the highest level of the game. That said, let us talk about LeBron James how he has made his money over the years and what his net worth is right now in 2024.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that LeBron James had a difficult childhood as they had to often move apartments due to poverty. Having overcome so many problems, it is probably safe to say that the 39-year-old’s personality and winning mentality have helped create his net worth.
LeBron James Net Worth
A large chunk of LeBron James’ money has been made as a basketball player from stints with the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the first active Basketball player to become a billionaire, with his net worth estimated at $700 Million.
As per several reports, James is in the first year of his two-year, $99 million contract extension signed with the Lakers in August 2022. He holds a player option for the 2024-25 campaign, which if inked could earn him a $180 million payout.
When joining the Lakers as a free agent from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, he signed a four-year contract $154 million deal. At the time of signing the contract extension in 2022, it was the highest contract in the league’s history. In the last 10 years or more, the 39-year-old has earned an incredible amount of money.
This is before the American brand deals kick in. He also has endorsement deals with several companies including McDonalds, Blaze Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, and Samsung. In addition, the 39-year-old has a $1 billion lifetime contract with Nike, playing a significant role in boosting James’ Net Worth.
The Lakers superstar also has 159 million followers on Instagram and 52.8 million followers on X. A massive deal for when he decides to cash in with endorsement deals and sponsored posts.
LeBron James Contracts and Salary
As an 18-year-old, James inked his first professional contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers—a three-year deal worth $12.96 million. It just took him a year to become a sensation in the game, and after spending seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Ohio native signed a six-year $110.1 million contract with the Miami Heat back in 2010.
James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, penning a three-year, $100 million contract. Presently, he is with the Los Angeles Lakers and signed a two-year contract extension worth $99,023,288 in 2022. As already mentioned, James holds a player option for the 2024-25 season, which if triggered could earn him a lot of money.
LeBron James Bonuses
Every one of LeBron James’ contracts, be it as a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat or LA Lakers, had a bonus component to it. For example, he will make an estimated $46.7 million for the 2023-24 season. He has a player option for the 2024/25 campaign but interestingly as the 39-year-old had signed an extension in 2022 and not a new contract, he is ineligible for a no-trade clause. However, it contains a trade kicker that grants James a bonus worth 15% of his salary if he’s traded to another team.
Endorsements
LeBron James has been one of the bankable athletes for a long period, signing plenty of endorsement deals over the years. Apart from a lifetime contract with Nike, he has endorsement deals with the likes of PepsiCo, Walmart, Sprite, Dunkin’ Donuts, State Farm Insurance, Audemars Piguet, Samsung, Kia, Verizon, Intel, Beats Electronics, Sprite and Upper Deck.
Not to forget, James has been featured in five Hollywood movies and various TV Series episodes.
Investments in real estate
LeBron James like any other wealthy athlete has sought to protect his wealth by spreading his income stream across many fields. He has bought five different mansions and currently owns three of them.
For example, the all-star athlete owns properties in his home state of Ohio, Florida, and California. James bought a 2% stake in Premier League club Liverpool last year in addition to becoming a part-owner of famous American baseball team Boston Red Sox.
Car Collection
Outside of the basketball court, LeBron James is a massive petrolhead and loves spending big on rare and luxurious cars. His wide range of car collection is worth approximately $2.5 million.
The 39-year-old owns plenty of luxury SUVs such as Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Ferrari F430 Spyder, Porsche 918 Spyder, Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari 458 Italia, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Mercedes Maybach etc. Porsche 918 Spyder, starting at $1,000,000, is the costliest from his car collection.
Shaquille O’Neal, former Basketball player turned sports analyst, gifted James a Rolls-Royce Phantom on the occasion of his birthday.
Watches
LeBron James is a watch enthusiast and frequently posts pictures of himself sporting timepieces. Apart from his obvious admiration for Rolex and Patek Philippe, he also has quite a unique collection of Audemars Piguet watches. One of them is the Millenary – a horological masterpiece with a unique design.
Savannah James’ Net worth
LeBron James is married to businesswoman and philanthropist Savannah James. It is estimated Savannah of American origin has a net worth of $100 million on her own, primarily making money from her successful business ventures and partnerships.
She shares three children with LeBron, and though now part of a power couple, Savannah is not into paparazzi and magazines and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
