LeBron James, Nike Agree on Lifetime Contract: Details, Comments, Reaction

December 7th, 2015 by Joseph Zucker Leave a reply »

Nike and Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James agreed to a lifetime contract Monday, the biggest of its kind in company history, according to ESPN.com's Darren Rovell. CNBC Now confirmed the deal.

The official terms have yet to be announced, but Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reported James' annual earnings from Nike will be "multiple times" higher than the $30 million a year Nike is paying Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant.

Fortune's Daniel Roberts tweeted out why companies are so reluctant to offer professional athletes these types of contracts:



Rovell reported talks between Nike and James "included the idea of breaking out brand separately" from Nike, but the two sides ultimately decided against it.

James has been under the Nike umbrella since before he entered the NBA. He signed a seven-year deal with the company in 2003 worth a little over $90 million. At the time, many wondered if Nike staked a little too much in an 18-year-old who had yet to play a game in the pros.

The gamble paid off in a big way as LeBron became one of the biggest stars in the NBA and ...

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