Billionaire LeBron James pays $0 for helicopter trip from New York to Philadelphia

Dubai: LeBron James is reportedly paying nothing for his regular helicopter commute between New York and Philadelphia as he prepares to play for the 76ers.

According to Front Office Sports, James has been using Fanatics’ corporate aviation as part of his existing partnership with the company. The NBA star signed a multiyear trading card deal with Fanatics in January 2024 before agreeing to a two-year contract with the Sixers in July.

James is expected to live in New York City while playing for Philadelphia and has been seen using a helicopter carrying multiple Fanatics logos for his trips between the two cities.

“The deal we signed with Fanatics almost three years ago includes access to their corporate aviation,” a spokesperson for James told Front Office Sports. “It’s a feature in many of their deals with their largest athletes and we appreciate their partnership as LeBron splits his time between New York and Philadelphia.”

A one-way helicopter flight between New York and Philadelphia typically costs between $4,000 (Dh 14,692) and $10,000 (Dh 36,730). Flight records show the Fanatics helicopter used by James made around a dozen round trips between the cities in the past week.

The journey takes roughly 30 minutes by helicopter, compared with around 90 minutes to two hours by road.

James has earned nearly $600 million (Dh 2.20 billion) during his 24-year NBA career. His two-year, $8 million (Dh 29.3 million) Sixers deal will pay him $3.87 million (Dh 14.21 million) this season, the lowest annual salary of his career. His net worth is $1.4 billion (Dh 5.14 billion) according to Forbes.

However, endorsement deals continue to add significantly to his income, including his Fanatics partnership and a reported deal with Polymarket worth around $15 million (Dh 55.09 million) annually, thrice more than his salary with the 76ers.