LeBron James signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike last December. The official terms are unknown, but there has been speculation that the sports apparel juggernaut guaranteed LeBron 10 figures.
While speaking with Mark Anthony Green of GQ Style recently, LeBron’s business partner and longtime friend Maverick Carter hinted that those rumors are true.
How much was the deal for?
I can’t say.Come on, Mav! Can you ballpark it?
What are people saying?Kanye said a billion. So a billion.
[Maverick smiles and points one finger skyward.]Holy s—.
Yeah. It’s a fantastic deal. Nike feels great about the deal. That’s the most important thing. As great as I feel, as great as LeBron feels—Nike feels fantastic about it. It’s the largest deal in the history of the company. Their hope is he makes even more. And our hope is that, too, obviously.
Kanye West, who has a strained relationship with Nike after leaving the company to sign with Adidas, was accused of taking a shot at LeBron on his track “FACTS” with the following line:
Nike, Nike treat employees just like slaves / Gave LeBron a billi’ not to run away!”
The only thing we heard initially about LeBron’s new deal with Nike is that it is worth significantly more than $500 million. If a player like James Harden can sign a $200 million endorsement deal that covers 13 years, why wouldn’t LeBron get close to $1 billion for a lifetime contract?
Even if the deal is for less than $1 billion guaranteed, LeBron will probably earn more than that when all is said and done. He’s destined to join this guy as one of the only former athletes with a net worth that is 10 figures.
