LeBron James’ business acumen

On the day he became known as the first black man to join the Boston Red Sox baseball team, LeBron James finished the game against Minnesota with a triple-double of 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. The night before, against Golden State, he had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. In doing so, LeBron became the oldest player in history to achieve a triple-double in two games held day after day.

When James moved to Los Angeles, the prevailing opinion was that he was at the end of his basketball career and wanted to start a business career in Hollywood. There were then real doubts about the commitment left in him to the game. Three years later, it turns out that LeBron did move to LA to start a Hollywood producer’s career and expand his business portfolio, but any doubts about his commitment to basketball now seem ridiculous. The only thing that is not clear is how LeBron finds time to be so good in so many areas.

American athletes always get their hands on business. It’s not only part of the American ethos that every success is just a staging post, it’s also the confidence of someone who has excelled in one area and is sure he can be good at anything. In most cases this arrogance crashes, unless it’s the really great athletes, the ones LeBron is spinning in their spheres.

Derek Jitter, the greatest and most beloved baseball player in history, is the CEO and co-owner of Miami Marlins, he was one of the founders of the great site The Players’ Tribune that gave athletes something to write about, he has a publishing company and his market value is $ 200 million. Shaquille O’Neal made $ 285 million in his playing career and is worth $ 400 million today, which doesn’t stop him from making commercials at the rate of whoever has to pay rent tomorrow. Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, is even better at selling and marketing. The 80 on a 25-year contract with the Lakers for $ 25 million.Today much less good players receive $ 25 million a season, and yet, Magic’s business ventures give him a market value of about $ 600 million, and he is one of the richest athletes in history .

Serena Williams, who owns part of the Miami Dolphins football team, is worth about $ 225 million and has a venture capital firm that invests in companies that set up black women. Maria Sharapova is an example of a brilliant businesswoman who knew from the first moment to build and leverage her image for a $ 200 million empire.

And there is of course Michael Jordan, who has changed the business world of athletes almost as much as he has changed the game itself. It is worth $ 1.9 billion today, and the vast majority of that wealth has come off the field. And in that sense – even in that sense – LeBron is the closest athlete to him.

LeBron has always been a smart and diverse businessman. He owns shares in Dr. Dre Beats Electronics’ audio company. He owns his own production company, SpringHill Entertainment, which produces Hollywood content at an uninterrupted pace. Which does not prevent him from simultaneously owning 19 branches of the Blaze Pizza chain.

It is not over. LeBron has its own media company, Uninterrupted, which he founded with his business partner, Maverick Carter. The company’s flagship program, The Excellent Shop, airs on HBO. He earns $ 53 million a year from commercials alone. In 2015, he signed with Nike for a lifetime deal and she alone will make him a billion dollars over the years, and very recently left Coca-Cola and moved to Pepsi. And if there are any comparisons to Jordan, then LeBron’s “Spice Jam” version will be released this summer to the world that can hopefully be returned to theaters. In total, its value is currently estimated at $ 480 million.

However, the Boston Red Sox-owned partnership has special significance beyond the business side. LeBron makes no move without thinking of a statement, and in this case he and Carter are the first two blacks to become part of the ownership of a group that is a classic American brand that for a very long time blacks had no entry into.

In 2014, LeBron said he wanted to be a billionaire even before retiring from basketball. According to Forbes, this is happening soon, and James is expected to cross the billion-dollar line in career gains this year. He will become only the fifth active athlete to reach the billion mark, joining Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. Much more important to him, he will be the first American team player to ever do so (Michael Jordan became a billionaire after finishing his career).

What LeBron really wants is to own an NBA team – also of course like Jordan (owns the Charlotte Hornets) – but the road there is long, and not just because an active player is not allowed to own. The cheapest team in the NBA, according to Forbes, is Memphis Grizzlies, valued at $ 1.3 billion. If LeBron signs the Cleveland Cavaliers close to his heart, he will need, as of today, $ 1.56 billion.

One way or another, LeBron will simply continue to build an empire. The Lakers will pay him more than $ 85 million in the next two years, he is already one of the richest athletes ever, and he will not stop. Because when LeBron says “I’m a kid growing up in Akron, I’m not supposed to be here at all,” it’s not just an answer to a post – game question – it’s a motivational speech.