I guess Lebron didnt have his wish come true of becoming the 1st Billion dollar athlete. But he's got many more years to come. Im sure he will surpass that number. As it is whatever his new contract is after this season, and whereever it is, is going to be worth a ridiculous amount. Try the possibility of a $50 million per year deal with a European team. Not to mention the Nike deal, the movie being released this year, the management company, a profitable and public relationship with the greatest rapper on the planet (Jay-Z), and many more endorsements. Who knows, maybe he'll be the first $2 billion dollar athlete. He taking a page from the book or "Jordan". Brand yourself, and take away from the game, more than just championships, and shoes. But a name that is worth even more.
Its like his friend Jay-Z said, "Im not a businessman, Im A Business, man."
He would be able to make twice as much in salary if he went to Europe but he'd probably lose more money in the long-run by not playing in the NBA.
I get the feeling that Lebron will be able to leverage the Chinese ties which a new minority owner of the Cavs has and find a way to tap into the fledgling basketball market in China. Yao Ming has opened up a gigantic market for the NBA and someone is going to make a lot of money off of it.
Good point. That new Cavs Chinese ownership can definately be capitalized on, and their is a lot of Global money to be made from that deal. They loved him in China during the 08' Olympics in Beijing. Will be exciting to see what he's gonna do come next summer. Europe, Stay with the Cavs, NYC, Jersey (Brooklyn), etc. His options are endless. At one point, I thought the Jersey move was out because the team was having so much financial trouble with the possible Brooklyn move. But now with the new Russian ownership, along with his relationship to part-owner and friend, Jay-Z, that may be a viable option again.
Its like his friend Jay-Z said, "Im not a businessman, Im A Business, man."