LeBron James is many things. He is arguably one of the greatest basketball players to have ever lived, and in doing so, has turned himself into one of the world’s most marketable athletes. He’s also a keen businessman, having invested in various successful businesses. He’s also one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, and the first active NBA player to accrue an estimated net worth of $1 billion.
Here’s everything you need to know about LeBron James, including how he amassed his immense wealth and more.
LeBron James Quick Facts
| Name: | LeBron Raymone James Sr |
| Age (DOB): | 37 (30 December 1984) |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 6ft 9in / 2.06m |
| Weight: | 250lb / 113kg |
| Twitter: | @KingJames – 51.4m followers |
| Instagram: | @kingjames – 123m followers |
| Net Worth: | $1 billion (estimated) |
LeBron James Basketball Career
LeBron James was introduced to basketball when he was nine years old, after he moved in with the family of the local football coach, Frank Walker, in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. His mother, Gloria Marie James wasn’t financially stable enough to raise LeBron, so she allowed him to move to a more stable family environment.
Showing promise at such a young age, LeBron James began playing basketball in the Fifth Grade and eventually moved to playing Amateur Athletic Union basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. James and three of his friends then enrolled at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School so they could continue to be together and play basketball together.
High School Basketball
LeBron joined the varsity basketball team at high school and continued to dominate. It was at this point talent scouts would begin turning up to games just to see him play. He was dubbed “the best high school basketball player in America right now,” by Ryan Jones in the basketball magazine, Slam.
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James was chosen as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and recorded the most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut performance with 25, an NBA record. While the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t end up making the playoffs in his debut season, LeBron James was named the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Over the course of the next few years, James racked up a number of NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and was regularly named to the All-NBA Team. However, despite making the play-offs and some finals on several occasions, James never won the NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his first spell there between 2003 – 2010.
LeBron James resigned with Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 and eventually helped them to win the NBA Championship in 2015.
Miami Heat
In 2010, LeBron James signed with Miami Heat as a free agent, along with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. This move drew criticism from fans and high-profile industry figures such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. His first season with the Heat ended in a loss in the Finals, but he helped turn this around in the 2011 season, which Miami Heat eventually won. This was LeBron James’ first NBA Championship win.
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 and in 2020, he surpassed Kobe Bryant on the scoring list, just one day before the LA Lakers legend died in a helicopter crash. James went on to help the LA Lakers win the NBA Championship for the 2020 season, making him the third player in NBA history to win the Championship with three different teams.
LeBron James Stats
LeBron James has had a glittering career in the NBA (and he’s not done yet). He has been named to 17 All-NBA teams, an NBA record. He has four MVP awards, a record he shares with Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
Career & Events
Finishing the week with 35.0 Points and 7.7 Assists, LeBron was crowned the player of the week in January after scoring a triple. Later in the year, he celebrated reaching 39,000 points in his career. “Shooting Stars,” LeBron’s road to stardom film, was released as a Peacock Original. He attended the U2 Opening night in Las Vegas and was impressed by Adele’s performance at her concert in October 2023.
Collaborations
LeBron partnered with Warner Bros and Spring Hill to promote the premiere of ‘House Party’. In collaboration with Lobos 1707 Tequila, he celebrated World Margarita Day 2023 in style. During the first quarter of the year, Life Wtr and LeBron partnered on the ‘More to Life Grant’ aimed at youth empowerment and helping them discover their purpose.
LeBron James Family
LeBron James married Savannah Brinson in 2013, whom he had been with since high school. The couple has three children: sons Bronny (born 2004) and Bryce (born 2007) and a daughter, Zhuri (born 2014).
The saying ‘An apple never falls far from its tree’ is evident in LeBron’s family; both of his sons, Bronny and Bryce, play basketball. In 2023, his brother Dwayne also took up basketball. LeBron and his wife Savannah attended the Louis Vuitton Men’s Paris Fashion 2023 event by Pharrell. Savannah launched her skincare line, SJ Products, and LeBron supported her by test-running the first batch of production. LeBron celebrates Savannah on ordinary days, as well as on special occasions like Mother’s Day and her birthday.
LeBron James Net Worth
Thanks to his on-court prowess, LeBron James has become one of the highest-paid athletes in the world which, coupled with his off-court earnings, has earned him a net worth of an estimated $1 billion, according to Forbes.
His salary for the past few seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers has been valued at over $40 million per year.
Most of his income comes from sponsorship and endorsement deals, as well as business investments. LeBron signed a long-term contract with sports giant Nike in 2003 for an estimated $90 million, which he maintains to this day. He also has deals with PepsiCo., Coca-Cola, Audemars Piguet, Beats by Dre and McDonald’s.
He received an estimated $30 million following Apple’s acquisition of Beats by Dre, as he negotiated a small stake in the headphone company in return for promoting their products.
LeBron James also co-founded the SpringHill Entertainment production company, which has been responsible for producing a number of sports documentaries, as well as Space Jam: A New Legacy, which Lebron stars in, and is the sequel to the 1996 movie Space Jam, which starred Michael Jordan.
James also invested $1 million in the Blaze Pizza restaurant chain in 2012, which was then valued at $25 million by 2017. He also holds a minority stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns several sports teams, including the Boston Red Sox baseball team and Liverpool F.C. Premier League club.
LeBron James Style
LeBron has also proven himself to be a style icon on several occasions, often appearing at NBA games wearing exclusive pieces of clothing and some incredibly rare watches (thanks in no small part to his association with Audemars Piguet).
LeBron James Fitness
LeBron has often been described as one of the fittest NBA athletes and someone who is seriously dedicated to maintaining a peak level of fitness.
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He’s also been vocal in his support for the keto diet, although his former teammates have also claimed he likes to indulge in junk food every now and then.
Leisure
LeBron was present at one of the Inter Miami Matches where he hung out with Leo Messi afterward. He received a PlayStation with one of his favorite quotes engraved on it: ‘Nothing is Gifted, Everything is Earned’.
LeBron’s Foundation
LeBron’s foundation, the ‘LJ Foundation’, had previously published books for children. In partnership with ‘Harper Kids’, they published “I am More Than” to boost children’s confidence. Currently, LeBron is the frontliner of the Louis Vuitton Men Spring-Summer 2024 collection.
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