Rejecting Adidas’ $60,000,000 Offer, 18-Year-Old LeBron James Would Go on to Miss His 12th Grade Prom to Hear from Nike’s Competitors

It did not take long for a young LeBron James to steal the attention of scouts from around the NBA. By the time he was a junior in high school, he was already considered the top prospect headed to the league. During that time, he had also completed the photoshoot for his famous ‘The Chosen One’ Sports Illustrated cover, among many other things. As one might expect, he was receiving unmatched attention from sportswear companies like Adidas, Nike, and Reebok, at the time, with contracts as high as $60,000,000 being offered. While the then-18-year-old famously ended up with checks over stripes, it was once revealed that Adidas had made a massive impression on James prior to his Nike deal.

Sonny Vaccaro, the man responsible for acquiring the signature of Michael Jordan for Nike, once made a prediction about James.

“Sonny Vaccaro, who signed Michael Jordan to a five-year, $2.5 million deal in the mid-’80s, predicts that James’ shoe contract will top $25 million over five years.”

At the time, Vaccaro was trying to explain how great of a talent James was. However, it is unlikely that even he saw the athlete signing a $100 Million deal over 7 years, with a $10 Million signing bonus as his first contract.

LeBron James was impressed by Adidas’ preparations in Akron to lure him in

During the courtship period of LeBron James by multiple brands, Sonny Vaccaro was with Adidas, having moved on from Nike after securing them Jordan just 19 years prior. At the time, the German brand offered James the lowest endorsement offer he’d receive, $60 million, something Vaccaro was not a fan of. However, he tried to make things work anyway, trying to touch James’ heart in a rather astute way. Here is what happened, as detailed in the ESPN article, ‘The Path to Greatness‘.

“May 10-11 2003: Missing his senior prom, James flies to Los Angeles to hear a presentation by Adidas. James pays for fellow St. Vincent-St. Mary seniors Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Romeo Travis to accompany him.

May 12 2003: James returns home to Akron to see a full-fledged campaign by Adidas, which planned to have an advertising blitz in place before James visited Los Angeles, but the message is just as flattering. Billboards and buses in the town are adorned with the Adidas logo and have targeted phrases like, “Do You Want To Be The Next Superstar?” “LeBron loved them,” James’ publicist Alexandria Boone told the Akron Beacon-Journal. ‘He thought they were the coolest thing.'” 

While there were many companies after James’ signature, no other brand had Vaccaro’s experience. As LeBron’s publicist revealed, the young phenom was deeply touched by the campaign held in his hometown, Akron. However, despite all this, Nike’s contract was too good to pass up in the end. And today, partly because Adidas wasn’t willing to offer more, ‘The Chosen One’ is a Nike athlete.

The aftermath

LeBron James’ name is now synonymous with that of Nike. He has also signed a new blockbuster contract with the company since, a lifetime deal valued at $1 billion. LeBron is just one of a few athletes who have secured a deal of this nature. Other such names in the history of the NBA are Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and of course, Michael Jordan.

Adidas was one step away from perhaps the greatest investment of all time. Admittedly, it is a bit disorienting to think about what could have been for the company.