LeBron James shows up in new Liverpool gear ahead of OKC Thunder game

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James showed up in the new Liverpool home gear before the game against Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday (Thursday IST). James has a two percent stake in the team which won the Premier League title in June. The new kit that James wore was released by Nike over the weekend. 

Also read | LeBron James is a 'penny-pincher' despite whopping $480 million net worth

LeBron James wears Liverpool FC gear before Lakers game vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Also read | Hogan to replace Moore as Liverpool FC chief executive

James bought the stake in the club in 2011, a stake that has grown in valuation by leaps and bounds in the years since. Initially, James' stake was valued at $6.5 million. James is also known to support the team and has often tweeted about them. Liverpool signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2020 which ended their association with New Balance in July.

For the deal to be finalised, Liverpool faced New Balance in court. The club argued that Nike would allow them to tap into more markets worldwide than New Balance, which subsequently tipped the scales in Nike's favour. The Nike deal sees Liverpool earn £30 million a year for five years plus a percentage of the profits from the sale of merchandise. The judge also stated that New Balance was unable to match Nike's offer to use "three non-football global superstar athletes and influencers of the calibre of" of LeBron James, Drake and Serena Williams. In 2015, James signed a lifetime deal with Nike which is reportedly worth $1 billion. James' initial deal with Nike earned him over $90 million over seven years. 

Also read | Football transfer news: Thiago Alcantara ‘very likely’ to join Liverpool FC in £27m move

Liverpool FC fans react to James' wearing the kit 

LeBron James net worth: Lakers contract and various investments over the years

As per Celebrity Net Worth, James' net worth is $480 million. The three-time NBA champion is currently signed with the Lakers under a four-year, $153 million contract. Along with his deal with Nike, James has his own production company (SpringHill Entertainment) and media company (Uninterrupted). In 2018, James launched 'Ladder' with Cindy Crawford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lindsey Vonn, which is a health and wellness company. The same year, James started his first elementary school for the LeBron James Family Foundation, where they will reportedly spend $41 million to send children to college. James also owns 19 Blaze Pizza franchises in Chicago and Florida. James has also invested in the company, which he endorses as well. 

Also read | LeBron James net worth, annual salary, accomplishments and lucrative endorsement deals

DISCLAIMER: The above LeBron James net worth information is sourced from various websites/ media reports. This website does not guarantee 100% accuracy of the figures.

(Image source: Los Angeles Lakers official Twitter – @lakers)