How did LeBron James become a billionaire? It wasn’t just basketball.

LeBron Raymone James Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.

Image Credit: Google.com

LeBron James Nicknamed "King James" and he is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

[{"selector":"#anim-955fa7e0-ef54-4c6b-b2cb-1a2ce882930e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.76924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b823d1ce-b356-4568-b668-0e1a1e929ce2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-afc406cd-1c89-4bab-a1fd-9427c87ee491","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

When LeBron James was dubbed “the Chosen One” on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 17, it wasn’t because of his business acumen.

[{"selector":"#anim-d5a810e1-b1e5-4f86-9dce-958a19311301","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.76924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33aaca0a-6166-4480-831a-f5850cd63b8d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed84fcd6-118e-43bc-92b8-b527baee05e1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

James has reached billionaire status, something no other active NBA player has ever done.

[{"selector":"#anim-781d05c8-e18f-4df3-aa7b-547ee54f862f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.23076%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff65ab1d-3245-45a7-8b58-d199ef85b6fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff932ca5-1ad7-458c-bb7d-fb2837e682db","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

After taking home roughly $121.2 million in earnings in 2021, James has officially entered the billionaires list with a net worth estimated at $1.2 billion, according to Forbes.

[{"selector":"#anim-7e0550eb-1a34-41ef-a431-3e2fcb9192ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.07692%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7cf08d80-bb9b-4a8d-8b2a-ab1c16c818b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f952dcb1-ec26-4344-a9bb-90703690b1ab","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

Throughout his 19-year NBA career, the 37-year-old superstar received more than $385 million in pre-tax salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[{"selector":"#anim-ccb442e2-efe0-4658-8773-37be796bc875","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.23076%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2948a811-8f18-46f0-82c7-b32c32fa1751","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fd75914d-7374-4f11-a292-27500256b7fc","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

Throughout his 19-year NBA career, the 37-year-old superstar received more than $385 million in pre-tax salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[{"selector":"#anim-a1c4422e-146c-4647-a916-50e07b3288a1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.23076%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb9bdd57-18c1-4d9b-8e3a-53a0a715c791","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a76ca2c6-1f8f-41e8-bf8f-38eb46aaabe8","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

About half of James’ net worth comes from his stakes in real estate properties and business ventures.

[{"selector":"#anim-ff199eb5-793f-4f0f-a508-1fdcfa7739cf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.53846%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d135847-007a-4c29-a03c-a481061cc6f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5faf0c77-7ce9-4a83-bdfb-1163c9f5bc02","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

His production company SpringHill Co., which Forbes estimates to be worth around $300 million.

[{"selector":"#anim-b5d6ce05-51ec-4431-8bc6-f151a5e36120","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.53846%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-27ff5f15-34c8-4051-bde0-6943efaccb03","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3dcea503-4499-485b-afd5-f82ea946c8ac","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

He’s also racked in profits from his share of holdings in pizza chain Blaze Pizza, ride-hailing company Lyft, and smart-fitness startup Tonal.

[{"selector":"#anim-19956cca-f053-4721-a434-1e4a50c89799","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.46154%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2554219e-2e00-40bf-b1f0-67ce6f49dafd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e28959d-9654-48ef-843e-83a29c119644","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com

James joins Michael Jordan as the only other NBA player who has a net worth of more than $1 billion

[{"selector":"#anim-102451f3-3764-4800-a610-97be6cade9a2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.76924%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ffa7dfee-c7d1-4805-b892-eb30d0f9429c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-03b16b17-1569-4115-b3b5-62827e11a45b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Image Credit: Google.com