Legend has it that James spent only $2,000 of Nike's initial windfall. Whether or not that's true, it shows that James has maintained some financial acumen throughout his storied 20-year career.
Now worth more than $1 billion, James has managed to build an impressive real estate portfolio. We've documented his many moves over the years and have long admired his taste for luxury homes.
As the ageless wonder continued his dominance on the court during the 2023 NBA playoffs, he also showed serious property acumen off the court. Let's take a look at James' impressive real estate lineup.
There is plenty of evidence that James did spend more than $2,000 in 2003. We're not sure if he used his sneaker contract money or Cavs booty money, but he did buy a property in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, for $2.1 million 20 years ago. The existing house was razed so James could build a custom-built mansion.
The 30,000-square-foot home has six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and six and a half bathrooms. Baller's amenities are said to include a bowling alley, a recording studio and a barbershop.
After ditching the Cavs, taking his talents to Miami and forming a super team with the Heat, James needed to find a magical place in Florida.
In November 2010, he bought a six-bedroom beachfront mansion in the Coconut Grove neighborhood for $9 million. He even bought the home for $11.9 million.
After four seasons and two championship rings with the Heat, James returned to Ohio, promising to bring a long-awaited championship to the Cavaliers.
James put his 16,000-square-foot Coconut Grove home back on the market in October 2014 for $17 million, a price that has risen significantly four years later.
It was an ambitious strategy, but James eventually brought the price down to $15 million and eventually sold it for $13.4 million in August 2015.
James' former home changed hands again in 2021 for $12.75 million. The mansion appears to have been renovated and was put back on the market last month for $21.9 million. There was no sign of James's previous residence, but the view of the bay was still magnificent.
In his second stint with the Cavs, James looked away from the West. In 2015, Cleveland fans were dismayed to learn that he had bought a six-bedroom mansion in the tony Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles for $21 million.
By then, James had made his entertainment ambitions clear, so buying a home near Hollywood seemed logical - even if it left Cavs fans worried that he was on his way out again. But then he delivered the NBA title to Cleveland in 2016 with a surprise win over the Golden State Warriors. The victory guaranteed him a lifetime honor in Ohio.
However, in 2017, amid rumors that he intended to eventually join the Los Angeles Lakers, he bought another home in Brentwood, this time for $23 million. The brand new home has eight bedrooms, marble floors and walls of glass that open to the Southern California sun.
A year later, the rumors came true, and James signed with the Lakers to revive the franchise. He was happy with his two houses in Brentwood. Then in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the league closed, and James went house hunting.
He ended up with a real trophy - a Beverly Hills complex once owned by the creators of soap operas "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." The famous property was on the market for $39 million, but James sealed the deal in September of that year for $36.75 million.
There are two separate guest rooms, a screening room, and million-dollar views.
At the time of his purchase, agents said the property's seclusiveness and size (2.5 acres) were huge advantages. It satisfies the requirements of land, scenery and privacy - a rare trinity in this fabulously wealthy enclave.
After buying the Beverly Hills home, James decided to sell one of his properties in Brentwood. He put the house he bought in 2015 back on the market in 2021 for $20.5 million, slightly less than he paid. It sold a few months later for $19.6 million, a rare loss for an all-time winner.
