American professional basketball player LeBron James has become the first active NBA player to make Forbes’ billionaires list.
James is the world’s second highest-paid athlete behind footballer Lionel Messi.
The American business magazine puts his net worth at $1bn (£796.4m).
The Los Angeles Laker is the second-highest scorer of time in the NBA after passing legendary forward Karl Malone.
The four-time NBA champion, who has been the league’s most valuable player four times, earned $121.2m (£96.5m) over the last year, with $80m (£63.7m) of it coming off the court.
He has earned more than $385m (£306.4m) in salary from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers – but most of his income has come from endorsements and business ventures.
In March, the 18-time all-star player moved second in the NBA’s list of all-time scorers and he currently has 37,062 points, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).
Only Jordan (six), Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell (both five) have been named the NBA’s MVP on more occasions than James.
Lebron James’ first contract was a juicy one, with the Rookie of the Year taking home $4,018,290 in his first year with the Cavs.
