LeBron James may not have won any hardware with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but he did hit a major milestone that even the greatest of NBA stars never reached.
The Lakers star has now hit billionaire status – at least according to the unofficial estimate of Forbes. While it's not a cold-hard fact just yet, safe to say the business magazine knows a thing or two about estimating personal finances.
After another monster year of earnings–totaling $121.2 million last year–Forbes estimates that James has officially become a billionaire, while still playing hoops.
The 37-year-old superstar has a net worth of $1 billion, by Forbes’ count. James, who’s missing the playoffs for just the fourth time in 19 seasons, is the first active NBA player to make the billionaires list.
Considering it took Michael Jordan more than a decade after his retirement to achieve the same feat, LeBron James doing it with what appears to be several playing years left in his Lakers career is mighty impressive.
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He hasn't been bashful about trying to reach for the target in the past. Years before making the move to Los Angeles, a 30-year-old King James called it his “biggest milestone”.
“It’s my biggest milestone,” James told GQ in a prophetic 2014 interview. “Obviously. I want to maximize my business. And if I happen to get it, if I happen to be a billion-dollar athlete, ho. Hip hip hooray! Oh, my God, I’m gonna be excited.”
With a billion dollars in the bank and other assets, LeBron James is clearly winning off the basketball court. His last few seasons with the Lakers give him a chance to win a few more on it before hanging it up.