Breaking down LeBron James & Shohei Ohtani's mega contracts? Looking at 2 star signings of LA franchises

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani delighted LA fans on Saturday. James brought the LA Lakers their first NBA Cup. On the other hand, the two-way phenom is staying in the area after agreeing to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the biggest free-agent deal in franchise sports history.

The two are some of the richest athletes in the world. Let’s take a look at their contracts.

Ohtani agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract, the biggest sum of money ever paid to an athlete on a team sport free-agent contract. The previous record for a baseball player was Mike Trout’s $426.5 million deal with the LA Angels.

Ohtani, 29, is a baseball superstar. He is a Hall of Fame-caliber hitter and pitcher. No player in today's game has the dual-threat ability that he does.

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani have big contracts. However, the contract details are interesting.

Shohei Ohtani will not make $70 million per year. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, most of the wealthy sum will be deferred and paid after the 10 years are up.

Ohtani will make around $40–50 million per season in reality. He will eventually be paid $700 million. However, due to inflation, the deferred payments mean the money will be a bit less, as money today is worth more than money tomorrow due to inflation.

James is on a two-year, $99 million deal with the LA Lakers. It is fully guaranteed.

James is earning $47.6 million this season. He is third in terms of annual salary this season, behind Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. He has a player option for next season that is worth $51.4 million.

James has earned $479 million in career earnings. He made $169.8 in 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He earned $64 million in four seasons in Miami with the Heat. His Lakers deals have totaled $245.5 million.

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani endorsements

That number is just his NBA contracts over his 21 years. He has become a billionaire when combined with his off-the-court assets and ventures.

James has a lifetime deal with Nike that is estimated to be worth $1 billion. He is also a venture capitalist who owns huge shares of companies such as Blaze Pizza. He also owns his own production company, Spring Hill Entertainment.

Ohtani has been featured in commercials in the U.S. He is a prime face of New Balance. He is also a massive commercial star in his home country of Japan.

LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani fit in with the fame and riches of LA. They are the two premiere athletes in the massive sports town and one of the biggest markets in the world. They figure to be in LA for a while.