Michael Jordan may not be the only NBA player clutching his brand "very preciously" much longer.
While Jordan won't do any business deal for less than $10 million, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James could stand to make a small fortune with many, many smaller deals.
Opendorse, a company that monetizes and executes social media campaigns for athletes, told Darren Rovell of ESPN on Wednesday that a single sponsored tweet from James has a value of $139,474. With 23.2 million followers and one of the cleanest public images imaginable, the value of sponsored content from James is higher than any other U.S. athlete.
"We're basically saying that the value of one LeBron tweet is worth $140,000," Opendorse CEO Blake Lawrence said. "And with that, you will reach 23 million people. It would cost you five times more to reach that many people with a TV ad."
Lawrence's evaluation isn't entirely fair, given the nature of Twitter - 23 million people probably won't see a particular James tweet, but the company has means of determining the reach of an athlete through all social media channels.
Despite the potentially huge price tag, Opendorse revealed that James' team recently shot down a single-tweet deal worth six figures, even though that amount far exceeds the undervalued amounts that athletes normally receive.
The value of a James tweet far exceeds any other athlete, with Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant coming in at No. 2 with $66,553. Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard rank third and fifth, respectively, with Floyd Mayweather standing as the only non-basketball player in the top-five.