Investing in their Bodies

LeBron James will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest players in basketball history. His stats are consistently jaw-dropping, despite competing in a sport that is usually dominated by younger players.

His manager, Mav Carter, revealed in an interview with NBA reporter Alex Kennedy one of the reasons for LeBron’s consistent performance: he spends about $1.5 million a year on his body. Let that number sink in for a second: $1.5 million every year. That includes things like cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, exotic leg boots, exercise routines, diet, and much more. In Kennedy’s words: “He invested in his body, so he can still dominate at 33 years old.”

Top athletes typically don’t divulge how much money they spend on their bodies and their health, but LeBron’s expenses may not be as outlandish as they sound.

For example, Russell Wilson, elite quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, has a performance team dedicated to his well-being, including a movement specialist, a massage therapist, a mental coach, a trainer, and a chef. “Putting the team in place is like having a Formula One car,” he says. “You have to make sure that everything’s tuned up and ready to roll.

I want my car to be driving like Lewis Hamilton, and flying around those corners.” The most important number, though, isn’t the amount these athletes spend on caring for their bodies, but the return they get on their investments. LeBron’s career earnings were recently estimated at over $1 billion.

With that kind of return, spending a million or two a year isn’t exorbitant: it’s an investment that pays incredible dividends. A common myth of leadership is that great leaders are naturally great. They don’t have to work at it like the rest of us do, the myth says—they just coast along on their innate greatness.

But that would be like saying LeBron James and Russell Wilson coast on their athletic ability, and nothing could be further from the truth: they work relentlessly and passionately on every aspect of their game. Sure, they have natural gifts and abilities, but they have also multiplied those gifts and abilities many times over through training and hard work. They invest in themselves, and their investment pays off.