By THOUSIF INC
LeBron James, the basketball legend with four NBA championships, three Olympic medals and 18 NBA All-Star appearances, achieves billionaire status.
Forbes reported Thursday that LeBron James has officially become a billionaire following an incredibly lucrative year raking in just over $121 million.
The breakthrough makes the 37-year-old player's nickname, King James, more fitting.
According to an earlier Forbes article, Michael Jordan is the richest athlete, often referred to as the greatest player to ever take the court.
However, even he did not break a billion until after he had retired from the NBA.
According to Forbes, LeBron James' basketball career has brought in more than $385 million.
However, the lion's share of his wealth comes from his business ventures and endorsements, including Nike, Walmart, Beats by Dre and the Blaze Pizza chain.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers first drafted James in 2003, he signed a four-year $18.8 million contract, according to Spotrac, an online sports finance tracker.
That salary more than tripled when he resigned from the Cavaliers for another four years in 2007.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed James for a whopping $153 million in 2018 and recently re-signed him for another two years at $85.7 million, a base salary of just under $44.5 million.
However, LeBron James does not keep his money to himself.
In 2004, James founded the LeBron James Family Foundation to better the lives of children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
The foundation teamed up with Akron Public Schools in 2018 to open the I PROMISE School, geared towards helping at-risk students and their families in Akron.
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