NBA ALL STAR LeBron James has added another title to his ever-growing trophy cabinet, this time financial. With the opening weekend total of the movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (which produced and starred in) reportedly coming in at over $31 million, The King is now the first active NBA player to tote $1 billion in earnings, per Sportico.
According to the Sportico, Los Angeles Lakers superstar has earned $330 million in playing salary since getting drafted in 2003, while bringing in a whopping $700 million through endorsements, merchandise, licensing and media. His endorsements with AT&T, Beats, Blaze Pizza, GMC, PepsiCo, Rimowa and Walmart bring in over $100 million annually alone. That is separate from the $30 million he makes annually through his partnership with Nike, with which he signed a lifetime deal in 2016.
Per CBS Sports, not only is LeBron the first player in NBA history to pass that threshold while active, but he’s also only the sixth athlete globally to reach that mark, a list that includes Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer. Amongst other NBA players, the next closest player to reach him is Kevin Durant, who is currently sitting at $580 million in career earnings, followed by Stephen Curry at $430 million.
Coming back to the Space Jam sequel, LeBron made sure his detractors and critics knew of the box office success of the film, tweeting: “Hi Haters! ?
“‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Steals Ball Away From ‘Black Widow’ With $31M+ Opening, Best For Family…
Sunday AM Update: Even with Space Jam: A New Legacy in homes on HBO Max, Warner Bros. proves again that when they shell out on TV spots, they can open the film in movie theaters to a solid number. …
deadline.com .”
Meanwhile, it was reported last week that media and entertainment firm SpringHill Co., which is led by LeBron and his business partner Maverick Carter, is in early talks with potential investors to possibly sell a piece of the property that has a valuation of up to $750 million.
LeBron is the NBA’s top-earning player for the seventh consecutive year (largely because of his off-court income). It bears noting that the 2016-17 season was the only one of his professional basketball career that LeBron had the highest playing salary in the NBA.
