LeBron James' Lakers took plenty of Ls in the last 12 months ... but The King's bank account certainly didn't -- because the L.A. superstar raked in a reported $121 MILLION this past year!!
Forbes just released its annual "top-10 highest-paid athletes in the world" list ... and LBJ came in second place, just behind Lionel Messi, who the outlet reports garnered around $130 million.
Forbes says LBJ's cash flow was obviously inflated by his huge Lakers contract -- but his ventures with the new "Space Jam" flick, his "The Shop" talk show, and other endorsement deals pushed him over the $100 million mark, which is quite the feat.