Yeah bro, Lebron literally is proletarian (he may not be at this point due to his wild success, but as a stand in for any other basketball player in those leagues, YES)
Sports dudes will train their entire life to play professionally for a decade, maybe two? And then they have to make that money last the rest of their life because of the damage playing can do to your body. Many couldn't work if they wanted to. It's why the basketball players Union is so important for them, even if it tends to skew towards the top, it gets folks way more money than they otherwise would which can set them and their family for life.
And, respectfully, if you've ever met the kinda guy who owns laundromats, they tend to be fuckin rich dickheads.