LeBron James gave Nike a $340 million slingshot with his ‘homecoming’ decision

LeBron James gave Nike a $340 million slingshot with his 'homecoming' decision

LeBron James has turned into the biggest face in Nike, and his homecoming decision in 2014 gave the company a massive $340 million boost.

The Lakers star made his NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being selected first overall in the 2003 draft. LeBron was a hometown hero, growing up in Akron, Ohio, and now being the franchise savior for his home-state.

LeBron worked his way up in the league and started dominating the way everyone expected him to. He earned the ‘best player in the league’ mantel, but there was still one thing that eluded him.

With Cleveland, LeBron never had the team to be competitive and win a title. He got close. In 2007, he took Cleveland to the Finals. However, against the San Antonio Spurs’ dynasty, LeBron didn’t have the firepower to win.

Things boiled over in 2010 when LeBron became public enemy number one in Ohio (and much of the rest of the NBA) and left the Cavs for the Miami Heat, joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He won two titles with the Heat, but he still felt empty. There was still something he needed to complete.

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LeBron James’ homecoming gave Nike a massive boost

Before LeBron had left for Miami, he had promised the city of Cleveland one thing. He promised that he would win the city a title, no matter what the cost.

After leaving in 2010, fans felt betrayed that the King was reneging on his words. However, in 2014, LeBron proved that wasn’t the case.

He came back to the Cavaliers, joining Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to fulfill his promise. They weren’t successful in year one, but in their second year, LeBron completed a historic comeback in the Finals to deliver on his promise.

LeBron’s homecoming was also a massive boost for Nike. Sales for his shoe line increased like crazy after he came back. The brand made $340 million in sales in a 12-month period following his return for a 13% rise.

Also Read: 6’6 Michael Jordan can out-bench 250lb LeBron James by nearly 100 lbs despite a severe lack in size

Post Edited By: Ashish Priyadarshi
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About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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