LeBron James Becomes First Active Player in NBA History To Reach $1 Billion Earnings

The face of the NBA, LeBron James, cemented his name in NBA history after he became the first active NBA player to reach the billion-dollar mark.

Fresh off from Space Jam: A New Legacy's $31 million box office opening, one of the the country's biggest and most well-known athlete for almost 20 years resulted in unbelievable fortune for the Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

According to CBS Sports, The LA Lakers, and "Space Jam New Legacy" star LeBron James has reached a new tier in his career as he engraved his name as the first active NBA player to earn more than $1 billion. James earned enough over his entire professional career which came from his salary, endorsements, and other production companies that he took part with, that put him into a whole new different level, the $1 Billion Club.

James achieved a milestone that no other team sport athlete in the U.S. has ever reached.

Based on the report of Sportico, James was the first active NBA player to surpass $1 billion in terms of career earnings. The King earned $330 million from his NBA salary in playing for almost two decades while he earned $700 million from merchandise, endorsements, and his media company, which were part of his off-the-court endeavors.

While Michael Jordan has surpassed the $1 billion mark and even the $2 billion mark, his Airness did not reach that level until his playing career was over.

The massive number was not impossible for James because he was a sensation even before he entered the professional league. James' professional career so far led to 17 All-Star nods and four championships. The King had taken the fame that he got and spun it into a lifetime contract with Nike that may be worth $1 billion, GQ reported.

Moreover, James also had a number of other endorsements, starting from GMC, AT&T, Walmart, Beats, Pepsi, and even a thriving media company that has produced an HBO show. He also had an ABC game show, several documentaries, and the latest off-court income came from "Space Jam: A New Legacy," which has been a box office hit.

The $1 Billion Club

LeBron was not only the first player in NBA history to pass that threshold while still active, but he was also only the sixth athlete in the world to reach that mark. The list was composed of athletes from other sports and other countries who have also done it, including legendary athletes such as Tiger Woods for golf, Floyd Mayweather for Boxing, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi for Soccer, and Roger Federer in the field of Tennis.

Next on the NBA List

The next closest player amongst other active NBA players to reach the mark was Kevin Durant, who is currently sitting at $580 million in career earnings while being followed by Stephen Curry whose at $430 million.

Durant was only $420 million away from crossing the prestigious mark. Currently, Durant still has $84 million to get from the Nets on his contract, and his shoe deal with Nike is expected to bring him around $85 million through 2024. Durant also made investment deals through his company Thirty-Five Ventures which could bring him a significant amount of money, and if the Nets star would be able to stay healthy and could play for at least five to seven more years, there's no doubt that Durant could reach the mark.

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Written by Jess Smith

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