His Lakers failed to make the playoffs and could be headed for a roster overhaul, but LeBron James is still very much the king, financially speaking.
The 37-year-old NBA superstar ranked atop Sportico’s list of the highest-paid athletes for the last 12 months after raking in a reported $127 million in salary and endorsements to edge out international soccer icons Lionel Messi ($122 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($115 million). Tennis star Naomi Osaka ranked atop all female athletes, and 20th overall, with $53.2 million in earnings, most of which came from endorsement deals as she missed several tournaments while battling mental health issues.
Sportico’s top-100 list included athletes across 10 sports, who earned an estimated $4.5 billion in salary, winnings, and endorsement deals, which is a 6-percent increase from last year.
Although the Lakers failed to make the playoffs, LeBron James ranked atop Sportico’s list of the highest-paid athletes for the last 12 months after raking in a reported $127 million
James edge out international soccer stars Lionel Messi ($122 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($115 million), who finished second and third, respectively
Tennis star Naomi Osaka ranked atop all female athletes, and 20th overall, with $53.2 million in earnings, most of which came from endorsement deals
James earned $41 million in salary from the Lakers while ranking second in the NBA in scoring with 28.5 points a game in 2021-22, but it’s his side work that pushed him over the top. (Sportico counted James’s salary as $36.9 million to reflect the amount that is placed into escrow until the end of the season, per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. That figure also includes bonuses for the 2022 All-Star game and the 2021 NBA postseason)
The 18-time NBA All-Star’s Nike contract remains one of the highest-profile deals in sports, but he’s also added a litany of other sponsors, such as Walmart, GMC, AT&T, and PepsiCo, all of which he can endorse to his 200 million social media followers.
And then there’s the brands he’s personally invested in, like Calm, Ladder/Openfit and Lobos 1707 tequila.
Finally, there are the businesses that James owns with his partners, such as The SpringHill Company, a seven-year-old media and consulting firm that expects to earn more than $100 million in 2022, according to Sportico.
James also has stakes in Liverpool, of the the English Premier League, as well as the Boston Red Sox and their home network, NESN.
