Windhorst: LeBron James Once 'Ranted' About Being Underpaid During His Time with Heat

LeBron James has been the most important player on every team he has ever played for during his illustrious NBA career, but he wasn't always paid like it.

While discussing the reality that James was never the highest-paid player on his team during his first 11 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed the King once discussed being underpaid.

"I brought up to him that he had never actually been the highest-paid player on his team, he was tied as the highest-paid player with Chris Bosh, but he wasn't the highest-paid player," Windhorst said. "His head snapped around, and he goes, 'that's an untold story,' and he kind of went off on a rant about being underpaid, which he was. He was underpaid."

Fortunately for James, longevity means plenty of NBA riches.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported he agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers that can be worth up to $111 million if the salary cap rises in 2023-24.

As a result of the new deal, nobody in NBA history will have more career earnings than James ($532 million).

Even if some of those earnings came when he wasn't the highest-paid player on his own team.