How LeBron James spent his very first paycheck from Nike is guaranteed to surprise NBA fans

The biggest stars in the NBA earn an incredible living from salary alone and the bonus of brand endorsement and sponsorship isn't to be sniffed at either.

LeBron James is one of the biggest of them all and has pulled in higher career earnings from the NBA than any other player in history.

The four-time NBA champion has star power like few others in sports today and major brands like Nike adore him.

Back in 2003, King James and Nike signed a multimillion dollar deal after he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

18 years of age at the time, Ohio-born James became an extremely wealthy young man almost overnight and showed some real flair in the way he spent his first paycheck from the sportswear colossus.

Chris Dennis, James' PR representative in 2003, took delivery of his first check and told CNBC years later that the young superstar took the responsibility of riches seriously.

"After I hand delivered it to him, LeBron took that multimillion-dollar Nike check, deposited it and came out with maybe $2,000 in cash," recalled Dennis.

After looking after his future, James looked after his friend.

"He did take his closest friend to an amusement park," revealed Dennis. Textbook.

While he's renowned for his love of collecting cars, James has a reputation for being careful with money even now.

He admitted to being the cheapest player in the NBA, quite the opposite of what might be expected of its top lifetime earner.

LeBron James and Steph Curry (Image: Getty)

When his current contract ends, James will have earned a total of $581,322,455 from his NBA salary alone.

Steph Curry, the league's highest-paid player currently, is second on the all-time earnings list and Paul George, Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis are all set to overtake Kevin Durant by the end of their current contracts.

James has won NBA championships with the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the LA Lakers in his legendary career.

Also a four-time NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP, the 40-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

James and the Lakers lost in five in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.