LOS ANGELES, June 3 — Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has become the first active player in NBA history with a net worth of US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion), Forbes magazine reported on Thursday.

The 37-year-old forward, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, ranks second on the league’s all-time scoring list and has played in the league since 2003.

In the Forbes list of highest-paid world athletes from May 2021 to May 2022, James ranked second in total income with US$121.2 million, trailing only Argentine playmaker and Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi’s US$130 million.

The Lakers struggled to a 33-49 season and James missed the playoffs for only the fourth time in his career, but he still became the oldest player to average 30 points a game, hitting 30.3 per contest.

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In a 19-year NBA career, James has made more than US$385 million in salary alone as a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers.

Off the court, James took a star turn in Hollywood with the film Space Jam: A New Legacy and sold a minority stake in his production company, SpringHill.

More than US$500 million of his value comes from cash and investments.

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James has an ownership stage in Fenway Sports Group, which owns English Premier League side Liverpool, Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and made a deal to buy the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

His stake in Blaze Pizza is estimated to be worth US$30 million while his US$80 million in real estate holdings includes a mansion in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and two homes in Los Angeles. — AFP