What will LeBron James do when The King of The Association finally plays his last professional basketball game?
James isn’t the new owner of the Los Angeles Lakers – yet.
But what if his name eventually joins Mark Walter’s as a co-owner of the most famous team in the NBA?
Or what if The King becomes the public ownership face of a sparkling NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas?
“I would love to bring a team here (Las Vegas) at some point, that would be amazing,” James said in 2022.
Michael Jordan followed up a perfect 6-0 record in the NBA Finals by taking over the Charlotte Bobcats.
He was the first former player to become the majority owner of an NBA team, and his net worth is now estimated at $3.5 billion.
In 2022, James became the first active NBA player to break the $1bn mark in net worth, and there have been rumblings for years that his ultimate end game is to follow in Jordan’s footsteps as a future NBA owner.
Tom Brady ($530m estimated net worth) became the GOAT of the NFL, then a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Magic Johnson ($1.5bn estimated net worth) has ownership ties to MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and NFL’s Washington Commanders, and the biggest name from the ‘Showtime’ Lakers-era praised Walter’s planned purchase.
“Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand,” Johnson tweeted.
“The proof is in the pudding on what he’s been able to accomplish with the LA Dodgers. Mark has been nothing short of a winner notching 2 World Series and 11 NL West divisional titles in the last 12 years!”
Walter, the CEO and chairman of TWG Global, went viral on Wednesday when his name was attached to ‘Breaking News’ headlines as the Lakers were linked to a the largest sale ($10 billion) of a professional sports franchise in the world.
Just imagine the global buzz if James becomes an NBA owner after he walks off the hardwood.
Then imagine the GOAT flex if James actually fronts a high-quality NBA team that is an annual Finals contender and features a superstar player.
Jordan was cold and distant as an NBA owner, and Charlotte was an almost-annual failure under his leadership.
James knows the modern NBA better than anyone, and he could blend a front-office mindset with a big-picture boardroom view.
He’s been blending big business, personal expansion, real-world credibility, inside-basketball podcasts and ‘Taco Tuesday!’ for years.
Now, The King gets to watch the Lakers transition from the Buss family to a new owner who has direct connections with MLB, the WNBA (Los Angeles Sparks), Premier League (Chelsea) and Formula 1 (Cadillac).
James’ net worth has increased to $1.2bn.
The 40-year-old from Akron, Ohio is ancient in NBA years, but just beginning as a billionaire.
Luka Doncic is 26 and will spend another decade as one of the top basketball players in the world, as long as he stays in shape.
James spent the end of the 2024-25 season as Doncic’s new teammate in purple and gold.
The all-time leading scorer in NBA history could be a part-owner of Doncic’s Lakers in a few years — or James could pull off a blockbuster trade just before the 2030 deadline that sends the ex-Laker to the NBA’s new expansion Las Vegas Kings.
The King has come a long way since receiving a ticket for driving 101 mph near Cleveland.