LeBron James has dominated the NBA for 22 seasons. During that time, he created a lasting NBA legacy and a tremendous business empire.
Let’s examine James’ salary, contract, net worth, and career earnings.
LeBron James’ Contract and Salary
James signed a new contract last offseason to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal was a two-year contract worth about $101.4 million.
During the 2024-25 season, James is making roughly $48.7 million. That ranks James as the 14th-highest-paid player in the NBA. Next season, James will earn about $52.6 million.
At the end of his current contract, James will have finished his longest consecutive tenure with any team in his career. James played 11 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers but across two different stints. The first stint, which began his career, lasted seven seasons.
James joined the Lakers as a free agent in 2018. He is currently in his seventh season with the team.
James led the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2020. Los Angeles defeated the Miami Heat in six games, with James winning the Finals MVP. He also finished second in league MVP voting during that season.
The title was James’ fourth in the NBA. He won the Finals MVP for all four of his championships. He’s also won the league MVP four times.
James’ other accolades in the NBA are nearly endless. He has made the league’s All-Defensive team six times and captured the All-Star Game MVP on three occasions. In 2008, he won the NBA scoring title. James was also the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2003-04.
James’ Career Earnings and Net Worth
Over 21 seasons, James has earned more than half a billion through his NBA playing career. To be exact, he’s accumulated a reported $528.7 million as a professional basketball player.
James last won the NBA MVP in 2013, but most of his career earnings have come in the past 10 years.
James earned more than $30 million in a season for the first time in 2015-16. He then eclipsed the $40 million salary mark during 2020-21. The 20-time All-Star will make more than $50 million for the first time next season.
Behind his long career and giant salaries, James became the first active NBA player to be a billionaire. Forbes reported James’ net worth to be $1.2 billion. While James’ playing salary is impressive, he makes most of his money through endorsements. Forbes reported James will make $80 million in endorsements this year.
James is also an entrepreneur. He is an investor in Fenway Sports Group, which owns stakes in several professional sports teams including the Boston Red Sox of the MLB, Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, Liverpool Football Club of the Premier League, RFK Racing in NASCAR, and Boston Common Golf in the new TGL golf league.
During his tenure with the Lakers, James has also started a career in Hollywood. He is probably best known for starring in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which was a sequel to the Michael Jordan-led cult classic from the 1990s.
According to his IMDb page, James has appeared in 28 other projects. He has also received 71 producer and six writer credits.
