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In the new Forbes list of 'The World's Most Powerful Celebrities', NBA star LeBron James is the the highest rated athlete. The Miami Heat forward walks in at 2nd in the list, just behind pop queen Beyonce.
Inspite of his heartbreak at the hands of San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals this year, LeBron continues to be the most powerful athlete in the world. He was earlier instrumental in Miami Heat clinching succesive NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.
The Ohio-born basketball star had taken NBA by storm during his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James had become the youngest player to reach 15000 career points, and was rightly adjudged the tournament's Most Valuable Player at the end of the 2009-10 season. Cleveland Cavaliers went on to exit at the Conference Semifinals to Boston Celtics, and LeBron's future at Cleveland looked uncertain. After being announced as a free agent at the end of the season, he was snapped up by Miami Heat on a six-year contract on July 10, 2010.
At Miami Heat, LeBron's reputation as arguably NBA's biggest star took new leaps. Guiding them to consecutive NBA titles, along with being named MVP on three occasions, had turned the 6 feet 8 inch athlete into a bankable property.
Other than quite often rubbing shoulders with celebrities, James was on the billboard of every major brand. He had signed lucrative deals and was the face of mega-brands like McDonalds, Nike and Coca-Cola. Sales of his signature Nike shoes were estimated to rake in US $300 million, the highest amongst NBA players. His number 6 jersey for the Miami Heat was also the most sold in stores all over.
His collaboration with Rap legend Dr Dre on his brand of music accessories 'Beats', also resulted in a huge financial windfall. On May 28 this year, Apple had confirmed taking over Beats for US $ 3 billion. And LeBron had a lot to gain from this due to his collaboration with its owner Dr Dre.
But the basketball star is currently up for grabs. After Miami Heat lost the NBA finals to San Antonio Spurs, James has opted to be a free agent. He has signed off his remaining two-year deal with Heat, worth £12.3million-a-year. The 29-year-old is now free to join any team he wishes to, or chalk out a better deal and rejoin Miami Heat. The NBA world is eagerly waiting for LeBron’s choice, now that's what's called power.
