Talking about his life, LeBron James would say it’s not much different, still here today and gone tomorrow. Only now, for him, it’s not temporary houses but luxurious villas.

“If I happened to, well, just happened to, be a billion-dollar athlete, oh my God, I’d be so excited,” LeBron James, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, said eight years ago.

He knows that becoming a billionaire sports star isn’t easy. Even basketball legend Michael Jordan didn’t reach 10 figures while he was playing. He had to wait more than a decade after retiring, thanks to his investment in the Charlotte Hornets, to become a billionaire.

But LeBron didn’t have to wait that long. In June 2022, he officially became a billionaire. That’s thanks in part to a whopping $121.2 million in pretax earnings for the 2021-22 fiscal year. In total, the NBA legend is worth about $1.2 billion. Of that, only $385 million came from salaries, with the remaining $900 million coming from commercial contracts and business operations.

In June 2022, LeBron James officially became a billionaire.

To understand why LeBron has such a huge income, let’s look back at his achievements. In two decades, he has won 4 NBA championships, 4 NBA Most Valuable Player, 4 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, 3 All-Star, 16 NBA All-Stars and 2 Olympic gold medals. LeBron’s talent and perseverance have amazed everyone. However, he was not 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 a star.

LeBron was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in 1984 in Akron, Ohio, when his mother, Gloria Marie James, was only 16 years old. With his father having many criminal records and having been in prison, it is easy to imagine how hard it was for his mother to raise her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 when she was a teenager.

For a long time, because of unstable work, Gloria constantly moved from one shabby apartment to another in Akron. Although he moved here and there, life remained the same, young LeBron grew up in poverty and street violence.

Before becoming famous, young LeBron grew up in poverty and street violence.

What helped LeBron resist temptation and not fall into the path of crime was basketball. He often hung around Elizabeth Park to play, but was often excluded because of his small body. In frustration, LeBron trained himself to shoot with both hands, eventually dominating the court in Elizabeth Park.

When basketball developed into a passion, LeBron just wanted to be on the court all day. He skipped so many classes that he wanted to drop out of school when he was in the 4th grade. As a last resort, LeBron’s mother sent him to the home of Frankie Walker, the school’s basketball coach. This could be considered a turning point in LeBron’s life. Not only did he get enough to eat, but he also received systematic training.

LeBron was very athletic, playing basketball and football very well. At the all-white Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School, LeBron found recognition as a star on both the basketball and football teams, and his fame even extended beyond Ohio.

LeBron is considered the best basketball player of all time.

Until one day, LeBron’s football team lost in the state finals, he decided to stop, and devote himself to basketball. Honestly, this is the sport where LeBron showed his superior strength compared to his peers. He averaged 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game. He was so excellent that even the legendary Michael Jordan took notice and invited him to join his private training session.

In 2002, LeBron tried to join the NBA, but was not eligible because he had not graduated from high school. No problem, he proved to everyone that his talent was far beyond his age. In his senior year, LeBron’s average performance per game was 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals. He was honored as Mr. Basketball. Ohio basketball for three consecutive years, appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, creating a rivalry between Nike and Adidas. ESPN also had to televise high school basketball. All of his games were sold out because everyone wanted to witness the talent of the best high school basketball player in history.

LeBron showed his mettle from a very young age. He entered the NBA Draft right after graduating from high school and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, then became the youngest person to be selected to the All-NBA Team.

LeBron earned $900 million from commercial contracts and business activities.

In the following years, despite Cleveland not being a strong team, LeBron still showed his unparalleled talent. He led the team to the first playoffs since 1998 in the 2004/05 season, scored an average of over 25 points per game in the next 2 seasons and led Cleveland to the 2007 NBA Finals. In the 2008/09 season, LeBron helped Cleveland achieve a franchise record of 66-16, and won the NBA Most Valuable Player award with impressive achievements, averaging 28.4 points, 7.6 assists per game, continuing to lead the team to the Eastern Conference finals. This number increased to 29.7 points, 8.6 assists in the 2009/10 season to continue to win the NBA MVP the following season.

Then LeBron became a two-time champion with the Miami Heat, a third when he returned to Cleveland, and a fourth with the LA Lakers. And with that came season after season of excellence, leading everyone to call LeBron King James. He made greatness a habit.

Now, LeBron’s reputation extends far beyond basketball and sports. He’s also a shrewd business man. In 2015, LeBron walked away from a $15 million, four-year deal with McDonald’s to invest in the fast-growing Blaze Pizza chain. He also owns stakes in smart gym maker Tonal and ride-sharing giant Lyft.

LeBron’s lavish estates and mansions.

LeBron still travels around, but not in his previous temporary homes, but in luxurious mansions. He owns a $52 million mansion in Los Angeles. It has eight bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, oak floors and marble. LeBron also owns a 2.5-acre Mediterranean-style estate in Beverly Hills that he bought for $36.75 million. As someone who never forgets his roots, he naturally has a 30,000-square-foot mansion in his native Ohio. The property has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a movie theater, a bowling alley, a recording studio, an aquarium and his own barbershop.

But LeBron also donates a lot of money, time and effort to community activities. He supports charities that fight poverty, creates schools where 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren can enjoy a good education in a safe environment, and provides college scholarships to high school students at I Promise.

LeBron has always known where he was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 and what he went through before he tasted glory. He does not want 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to repeat the life he experienced, with hunger, violence, and lack of educational opportunities. Having changed his life, it is now time for LeBron to change the world.