Forbes 2018: 10 Highest Paid NBA Players By Off-Court Endorsement Earnings

#1 LeBron James - $52 Million

LeBron James

Major Sponsors - Beats Electronics, Coca-Cola (Sprite), Intel, KIA Motors and Nike

Was there ever a doubt about this?

LeBron James is the greatest basketball player right now. He is the most active basketball player in the community through his LeBron James Family Foundation but in the midst of it all, he has also built himself a business empire.

He owns his own production company (Springhill Entertainment) and media company (Uninterrupted). His 2% stake in Liverpool, which he contributed in 2011, has matured to more than five times. He was an early investor in Blaze, a pizza chain, and his investor group owns 17 of the company's fastest-growing franchises.

His sneaker sales with Nike, who he's signed a lifetime deal with worth around $1 billion dollars, are the best among any active players. You could literally argue whether his off-court or on-court achievements are greater especially considering the financial condition his family was in before he joined the league.