From Basketball to Football: How Much LeBron James Earned Thanks to His Financial Move with Liverpool

The entire world of basketball has echoed the recent master move by LeBron James in the NBA: instead of seeking a multi-million dollar deal, the now star of the Philadelphia 76ers is aiming for glory in a franchise that years ago could not have imagined hiring a figure of such stature.

One of the reasons for King James's exclusive focus on sports lies in his solid economic foundation. The large contracts he signed allowed him to make investments in the business realm, such as the decision to back a major English football club, a business milestone of enormous success.

How the basketball player came to hold a 2% stake in the English club

In 2010, Fenway Sports Group purchased Liverpool with the goal of transforming the English club into one of the major sports organizations internationally. A year later, the firm reached an agreement with LeBron James and Maverick Carter, an alliance that led to one of the most unique moves in the athlete's career.

At that time, the four-time NBA champion did not enter football through the direct purchase of a team or through a traditional investment. The connection was born from the relationship between his team and Fenway Sports Management, the division responsible for representing figures and managing commercial agreements.

As part of the agreement, the entity took charge of opportunities related to the athlete's image off the court. In exchange, the basketball player received a 2% stake in Liverpool, a share estimated at $6.5 million due to the institutional valuation of $325 million at that time.

The operation took place before a period of strong growth for the Reds in England. In the following years, the club achieved key sporting results, such as winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020, in addition to increasing its revenues from broadcasting rights, sponsors, and the global expansion of its brand.

The financial maneuver that increased his investment

A decade after receiving that share, LeBron James changed the way he participated in the group owning Liverpool. In March 2021, along with Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter, he exchanged his direct ownership in the club for a stake in Fenway Sports Group.

The move occurred during the arrival of RedBird Capital Partners as an investor in the entity, a transaction that valued the group at approximately $7.35 billion. In this way, the NBA star left his exclusive connection with the English team to become part of an organization that controls the Boston Red Sox of MLB, Fenway Park, and the Pittsburgh Penguins of NHL.

The difference between both participations can be measured with current valuations. By retaining that 2% of Liverpool, that share would today have a value close to $120 million, taking as a reference a club valuation nearing $6 billion.

In contrast, the estimated stake of 1% within Fenway Sports Group will reach about $154 million. The decision to change the structure of his money ultimately granted him a higher value than he could have achieved by only maintaining his stake in the English team.

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