4. LeBron James – Net Worth $300m
Another of the more undeniably famous NBA stars, LeBron James earned around $19m from Miami Heat, and $53 million in endorsements, every single year.
James is very savvy when it comes to the deals he makes, both in business and within basketball, reportedly signing shorter contracts to take full advantage of increasing salaries. His endorsements have included McDonalds, Microsoft, Samsung, Nike, and Coca Cola.
His first Nike endorsement deal was signed when he was just 18, and he now earns $20m a year JUST from Nike. He has a ‘small stake’ in Beats by Dre as well, which earned him $30m in 2014. Not sure where his definition of small comes from…
There’s also a special mention to be made about LeBron James, because he should be ranked either first or second in this ranking and I’ll tell you why. He signed an exclusive 1 Billion dollar deal with Nike for his name and image, but the money will be delivered over time, so basically his net worth, just by the Nike deal, will be at 1.3 Billion in several years from now.
