Sports Business Athlete of the Decade: LeBron James

After winning titles in Miami and Cleveland, James headed west to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Each move had a ripple effect that impacted the entire league. Photo: getty images After winning titles in Miami and Cleveland, James headed west to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Each move had a ripple effect that impacted the entire league. Photo: getty images After winning titles in Miami and Cleveland, James headed west to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Each move had a ripple effect that impacted the entire league. Photo: getty images

The impact was not only seismic, but lasting.

When LeBron James famously announced that he was “taking my talents to South Beach” during an hourlong live special that aired exclusively on ESPN on July 8, 2010, he set in motion a shift in the balance of power in the league, leading the Miami Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and back-to-back championships in 2012 and ’13.

The manner in which James delivered his news was roundly panned, and never to be repeated. But the decision itself created a model — a top-of-the-class free agent, combining with a second elite free agent, Chris Bosh, and joining an already in-place superstar, Dwyane Wade, each of them willing to take less money in order to play together.

While no NBA superstar has managed to move chips as effectively as James did as he navigated his way to Miami that summer, many were awakened to the possibility. And so the game of musical chairs began, with All-Star after All-Star switching teams in their prime.

Having proven that he could win surrounded by greatness, James went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he joined fellow newcomer Kevin Love and established point guard Kyrie Irving to guide the team to four consecutive NBA Finals. James’ third championship, in 2016, also was the franchise’s first ever and the city’s first by a major pro team in 57 years.

A four-time NBA MVP, James won the award three times in the decade and was named MVP of the Finals three times and of the All-Star Game once.

$55 million James’ estimated value of endorsements in 2019, the highest in the NBA.

James not only dominated the decade, he defined it — on the floor and off. A freakish blend of size, strength, shooting range and court vision when he entered the league in 2003, James paved the way for a generation of players whose skills belied their physical stature — including his current Lakers teammate Anthony Davis and reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, commonly known as the “Greek Freak.”

Off the court, James’s decisions have been nearly as impactful.

When he returned to Cleveland in 2014, he said he intended to build a legacy beyond basketball in his Akron hometown. Many NBA stars make appearances at inner-city schools. James opened one. And not a charter school, a public school, operated by the district but with substantive financial support from James’ foundation.

In an era of revitalized social activism among athletes, James has been among those at the forefront. After a series of fatal shootings of African American men by police, James joined Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in an ESPYs speech that called for athletes to use their platforms to “renounce” violence and help bridge the racial divide.

As social media growth exploded in this decade, James has become the undisputed king of American team sport athletes, with 53.6 million Instagram followers, dwarfing fellow stars like Stephen Curry (27.4 million) and Odell Beckham Jr. (13.9 million).

James also has led the way at a time of increased entrepreneurship among pro athletes. Though star players such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and others built spectacularly successful portfolios, their success rarely influenced their peers to the degree that James’ has, perhaps because the avenue he has chosen — content creation — offers so many entry points and is a natural fit for many athletes.

Founded in 2008, his SpringHill Entertainment company signed a content creation deal with Warner Bros. in 2015 and has emerged as a prolific producer of documentary films and TV shows airing across various platforms. James also has expanded the Uninterrupted digital media company that he launched five years ago into what he describes as an “athlete empowerment brand,” developing projects with other players.

James’ move to Los Angeles has only increased the visibility of his off-court projects. Next up: A push to return his current on-court employer, the Los Angeles Lakers, to glory.