LeBron James is among the only Nike basketball athletes with a lifetime deal. He was a hot shot back in high school, having several shoe companies chasing him for a rookie deal. Indeed, Adidas and Nike found their way into his camp as well. Sonny Vaccaro, the mastermind behind signing Michael Jordan with Nike, was now with Adidas. In the book LeBron James Inc.: The Making of a Billion Dollar Athlete, Brian Windhorst noted how LeBron James snubbed a $115,000,000 deal from Adidas to choose Nike.
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Vaccaro had seen the same spirit, or maybe something more, in this young boy from Ohio, similar to what he had seen in Jordan in 1982. However, LeBron knew his worth well and gave Nike and Adidas a chase for his signature. Currently, LeBron’s Nike deal is worth $1 billion, which puts him in almost the same stage as Michael Jordan.
LeBron James’ business acumen at a young age
One difference we can notice between Michael Jordan’s and LeBron James’ signing of their Nike deals is the receptiveness of the athletes. While Michael’s deal was mostly negotiated by his agent and his mother, LeBron did most of the talking on his own. In fact, LeBron also could play brilliant mind games with the executives, including Sonny Vaccaro who was one of the firsts to connect with him. In the book, Brian Windhorst wrote about how LeBron would wear shoes and apparels of rival companies in their camps and matches.
“It was true that Vaccaro was there first, had a good relationship with LeBron, and had him in Adidas shoes and in Adidas clothes. But Merritt and Nike had made inroads, too. LeBron knew enough not to lean too much in either direction. The summer before his senior year he attended both Vaccaro’s ABCD Camp in New Jersey and the competing Nike All-American Camp in the same week in July. He couldn’t play because he’d suffered a broken wrist at a tournament in Chicago in the spring and was still recovering. LeBron held press conferences at both events. When he was at the Adidas camp he wore Nike shoes. When he was at the Nike camp he wore Adidas shoes. The game was on.”
Other companies, such as Reebok, had also made their initial advances toward the high school star. Reebok then had the Philadelphia 76ers star Alan Iverson as the face of their basketball brand. Perhaps, LeBron could have been the next. All in vain because LeBron ended up choosing Nike.
King James snubbed $115,000,000 deal to sign with Nike
While so many lucrative offers were on the plate for King James, he chose Nike. After signing the deal, he took a dig at Adidas and said:
“I don’t wear Adidas, I’m a Nike guy, I’m a Nike guy. I’m so excited about being a Nike guy, I just felt that was the best fit for me. Somewhat had to do about the money, of course, but I just think that they showed me that it was going to be a long-term thing. I’m just trying to do the best I can.”
LeBron James signed a $87 million contract for seven years with Nike in 2003. Eventually, he also became one of the lifetime contract athletes for Nike, signing one of the biggest deals for the company.
