Lakers superstar LeBron James and Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani are in a class of their own — literally.
James and Ohtani are among the top five highest-paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes. Cristiano Ronaldo sits at the top of the list with Canelo Alvarez and Lionel Messi trailing behind.
At No. 4 on the world’s highest paid athletes list, James earned $137.8 million in the last year. Per Forbes, the basketball icon’s real-time net worth as of June 22 is $1.4 billion.
James is the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. One of the hottest topics of the offseason is the forward’s future with the Lakers. He is reportedly not committed to the organization and is considering retirement or joining another team.
While there is no certainty the 41-year-old will remain in Los Angeles next season, his basketball legacy has long been cemented into history books.
As for Ohtani, the Dodgers superstar is in the midst of an incredible season with the back-to-back World Series champions. Ohtani the pitcher is sporting a 1.47 ERA with 78 strikeouts across 73.2 innings of work (12 starts) this season.
Ohtani the hitter is batting .297 with 16 home runs, 43 RBIs and a OPS of .969. He’s arguably the greatest player in the history of baseball and his earnings on and off the field certainly reflect that.
The 31-year-old earned an estimated $127.6 million. The Dodgers paid Ohtani just $2.6 million this season because of the deferrals included in his landmark 10-year, $700 million contract.
What’s perhaps the most impressive aspect of Ohtani’s revenue is his off the field earnings, which totaled $125 million (significantly more than any of the other athletes in the top five). James is the only athlete to come close, earning an estimated $85 million off the field.
Ohtani’s global stardom is palpable as he’s partnered with over 20 brands, including Fanatics, New Balance, Nishikawa and Kose.
