16 Richest Athletes In Sports
14. LeBron James – $270 million
James was the beloved star guard for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers until he left for Miami as a free agent in 2010.
He also played on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in Athens, and on the U.S. team at the 2006 World Championships.
James was a high school phenomenon in Akron, Ohio. He skipped college to jump straight to the NBA, at the same time signing a $90 million endorsement deal with Phil Knight’s Nike shoe company. He became a popular and marketable player and joined Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade as one of the NBA’s big attractions.
In 2006 the Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance since 1998, and James signed a contract extension worth $60 million that kept him with the Cavaliers through the 2009-10 season. When the contract ended in 2010 he jumped to the Miami Heat, forming a presumed super-trio with fellow free agents Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
Despite the animosity after leaving the Cavaliers, James continues to be a hot ticket. His jersey was the NBA’s best seller of 2011 season and he has the No. 1 basketball shoe on the market.
In April 2011, James partnered with Fenway Sports Group to manage his business interests. As part of the deal James received a very small stake in FSG-owned soccer club, Liverpool. His biggest deal is with Nike, and he signed an extension in 2010 that pays more than $10 million per year.
James added McDonald’s to his endorsement portfolio in January 2010 in a deal worth an estimated $4 million annually. He is the NBA’s biggest endorsement star thanks to deals with Nike, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, State Farm and others.
He signed a deal to promote Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins in Asia in March 2012 and his signature Nike shoe has been a hot seller racking up $90 million in sales in the U.S. in 2011 according to SportsOneSource.
