legacy is unquestionable, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar just achieved an unprecedented feat.
On February 7, LeBron James scored 38 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming the greatest scorer in NBA history with 38,390 points. This achievement surpassed the record of 37,387 points set by the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in nearly 40 years, and currently only seven other active professional basketball players have 10,000 points or more.
For LeBron James, this adds to his collection of achievements with 19 NBA All-Star appearances, 18 All-NBA team appearances, four NBA Player of the Year awards and four NBA championships.
“I feel so honored to be in front of a great legend like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It couldn’t be any better than today. Thank you so much,” LeBron James said during a pause in the third quarter to celebrate the historic milestone.
LeBron James has not only dominated basketball, but he has also found success off the court. At 38, James is the highest-paid basketball player in the NBA, with pre-tax and agent fees of $124.5 million in earnings for the 2022-2023 season. Off the court, he has earned $80 million from contracts with Nike, AT&T, and Beats By Dre, among other brands. To date, LeBron James has earned $1.3 billion in pre-tax earnings throughout his career.
On February 7, LeBron James officially became the greatest shooter in NBA history with a record of 38,388 points. Photo: Getty Images.
LeBron James is also a successful businessman ( Forbes doesn’t include his income). He has invested in several brands, including smart fitness company Tonal, which provide him with equity income. In 2015, James walked away from a $15 million, four-year deal with McDonald’s to invest in the Blaze Pizza chain.
He co-founded sports nutrition company Ladder and recently became an investor in Major League Pickleball, German bicycle manufacturer Canyon Bicycles, and organic milk brand Neutral Foods. In 2020, James co-founded entertainment and film production company SpringHill Co., which was valued at $725 million in 2021. The company produced the feature film Space Jam: A New Legacy and the HBO documentary What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali. LeBron James remains SpringHill Co.’s largest shareholder.
Another milestone for LeBron James is that he is the first NBA player to become a billionaire while still playing. Forbes estimates that James has a net worth of $1 billion from his stakes in SpringHill, the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group – owner of Liverpool FC, Blaze Pizza, his real estate and other cash income.
Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan are among the few athletes to become billionaires, but Jordan only achieved the title 10 years after he retired. In an interview with GQ in 2014, eight years before he became a billionaire, LeBron James pondered the possibility.
“It would be the biggest milestone of my life if it came true. I would be so excited to be a billionaire athlete,” James shared at the time.
But LeBron James doesn’t want to stop both on and off the court, as he once shared that he wants to own a basketball team competing in the NBA like the legendary Michael Jordan, who bought the Charlotte Hornets (formerly known as the Bobcats) in 2010. During a pre-season friendly trip to Las Vegas in October 2022, James expressed interest in having a basketball team here.
Now, LeBron James is waiting for his eldest son Bronny to be old enough to play in the NBA. LeBron James has said he will play in the NBA with his son before his career ends, with Bronny potentially entering the NBA Draft in 2024. In August 2022, James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, with an option to play in the 2024-25 season.
“I know I can play for a few more years,” LeBron James said after the game on February 7.
