LeBron James is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. His $44,474,988 salary from the 2022-2023 season coupled with the money he made from his numerous endorsements saw him earn $119,500,000 last year. It is a hefty sum that put him fourth on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe. However, his total earnings cannot even compare to Michael Jordan who earned more than twice that just from his Nike deal.
Advertisement
Jordan and LeBron have been going head-to-head ever since the latter entered the league in 2003. Although they never played against each other, their status as two of the greatest of all time has seen their names come up in many a debate. In particular, the GOAT debate is one that is currently raging across all platforms. And, it’s not just on the court, their off-the-court ventures have also attracted a lot of interest, with them being the only two players in NBA history to be classified as billionaires.
Michael Jordan earned a whopping $256,000,000 from Nike in 2022
In 2022, Michael Jordan raked in $256,000,000. It’s a huge figure, that in many people’s eyes would make a lot of sense given his numerous endorsements. However, this $256,000,000 came just from his deal with Nike. A shocking fact, especially when he reportedly made $29,223 an hour because of the partnership.
This is just a small part of Jordan’s earnings last year, and it’s all thanks to the deal he made with Nike back in 1984. A deal that saw him pocked $2,500,000 and receive a 5% royalty on every pair of Jordan’s sold. A lucrative deal that has helped the brand earn $19,000,000,000 in the last five years and made MJ one of the richest athletes on planet Earth.
This is twice what LeBron James earned last year. With his salary and endorsements put together, Bron earned approximately $119,500,000 last year. Around $44,500,000 came from his on-court earnings, whereas the other $75,000,000 came from his off-the-court activities. That’s about $136,500,000 less than what Jordan earned from Nike alone.
LeBron may be making a run for MJ’s title as the GOAT, but he still has a long way to go before he reaches Jordan’s level of success off the court. After all, he’s a whole $1,000,000,000 away from matching His Airness in terms of net worth. But, if he continues down his current path, he is sure to meet up with the six-time NBA Champion at some point in time.
LeBron James earned $10,500,000 less than Lionel Messi in 2022
The Lionel Messi hype has taken the United States by storm. His arrival in the MLS has seen the league grow exponentially, and as such, he’s seen himself being compared to some of the other iconic athletes in the States. One of them is LeBron James, perhaps the greatest athlete in the US right now.
While it is difficult to compare their athleticism given they play different sports, their success outside of basketball and football can be compared. As mentioned earlier, LeBron made around $119,500,000 last year. A huge sum, to say the least, but it still falls short of Messi, who made close to $130,000,000 last year, as the second highest-paid athlete in 2022.
At the end of the day, one thing is for certain, sports pay well, really well. But, it takes a lot of talent and dedication to reach the top, as both Bron and Messi have.
