Only selected few elite athletes can claim that they have signed a lifetime deal with Nike and LeBron James is one of them, know the net worth of James along with other details about his Nike deal in 2023
Thanks to his lifetime deal with Nike, NBA legend LeBron James has a net worth of approximately $1 Billion. Recently, fellow NBA star Kevin Durant has been offered lifetime deal with Nike and hence, his net worth is expected to skyrocket as well.
LeBron James lifetime Nike deal value and net worth 2023
Nike's lifetime deal with LeBron James is a bargain https://t.co/gPhqJrC796 pic.twitter.com/AIsDlW7Kdz
— Forbes (@Forbes) December 12, 2015
How did LeBron James secure lifetime deal with Nike & current net worth?
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has had the most prosperous career with a net worth of $1 billion. King James received his first commercial endorsement while he was a rookie player at the age of 18 from the renowned shoe company, Nike. James received offers from two shoe makers before deciding to work with Nike.
The first contract was for $110 million from Reebok, and the second was for $70 million from Adidas, both for a period of ten years. James turned down both offers before agreeing to a 7-year, $90 million contract with Nike in 2013. The deal was the highest that an NBA player had ever accepted.
Which other NBA players have deal with Nike?
In addition to LeBron James, two other NBA players also had the opportunity to sign lifetime contracts with Nike, namely Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant. Legendary Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan inked a $2.5 million, five-year contract in 1984. After that, the company introduced the Air Jordan shoe line, earning $126 million in a single year. By 2020, Jordan’s Nike contract had brought in $1.3 billion, up from his first year’s $500,000 salary.
Jordan made $150 million as of 2022, and the Air Jordan shoe line generated $5 billion in revenue. On the other hand, thanks to his lifetime contract with Nike, Michael Jordan has a net worth of $2 billion. The third NBA player to sign a lifetime contract with Nike was the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant. However, Nike and Durant have been together since he signed his rookie contract in 2007, which was worth $60 million over seven years.