LeBron James during the 2022 NBA season.Photo: John McCoy/Getty
Basketball starLeBron Jamesagain finds himself onForbes’Top 10 Highest Paid Athletes List, at the number 2 spot behind Argentinian soccer playerLionel Messi.
Those projects can include endorsements, appearances, memorabilia and licensing fees, as well as cash returns from businesses operations and equity stakes sold plus the advent of cryptocurrency ventures, the site said.
In James' case, his off-court revenue comes from his starring role in last year’sSpace Jam: A New Legacy(asForbescounts all projects from May of the preceding year), as well as moving his talk show,The Shop, from HBO to YouTube.
The site also detailed that James sold a minority stake in his production company SpringHill last October, at a valuation of about $725 million, pushing his net worth to an estimated $850 million.
The NBA star also announced a lucrative endorsement deal with Crypto.com in January, and appeared in a Super Bowlcommercialin support of the site the following month.
RELATED VIDEO: Stephen Curry Becomes First Player in NBA History to Make 500 Playoff 3-Pointers
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He also recently invested in two companies, home gym venture Tonal, and sports tech startup StatusPRO.
Last year, James already set a record for an NBA player on the list, earning an impressive $96.5 million.Forbesadded that he became only the tenth athlete ever to surpass $100 million in a single year this year.
His financial success comes in spite of the fact that his team the Lakers failed to make the NBA playoffs this season.
JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty
Messi, 34, plays for Paris Saint-Germain and topped off the list with a whopping $130 million in combined earnings.
Other top earners to make the cut included more soccer stars likeCristiano Ronaldoand Neymar, as well as tennis playerRoger Federer, boxer Canelo Alvarez, football starTom Bradyand other basketball pros includingKevin Durant,Stephen CurryandGiannis Antetokounmpo.
MMA fighterConor McGregor, who topped the list last year thanks to his $150 million sale of his Irish whiskey brand, failed to make the top ten this go-round.
While female athletes like tennis starsNaomi OsakaandSerena Williamsare sure to makeForbes’full list of the 50 highest-paid athletes for 2022, no women were included in the list of top 10 highest paid players.
source: people.com
