In 2003, Lebron James signed a $90 million
contract with Nike to be the exclusive outfitter
of his footwear and clothing needs for 7 years.
Nike won a heated bidding war against sneaker
rivals Reebok and Adidas. This was the largest
shoe deal ever made. The first Lebron James
shoes were released only months after the
deal was made.
The Lebron James shoes deal was far larger
than the one Nike made with Michael Jordan.
Jordan received only a 5 year, $2.5 million
dollar contract. Lebron James earned more
than 25 times more per year with his sneaker
deal than Jordan did with his Lebron James
shoes. LeBron James's endorsement deal is
also nearly on par with the five-year, $100
million deal Nike gave Tiger Woods in 2000.
Nike has released several models of the Air
Zoom Lebron series as well as many exclusive
Lebron Air Force Ones and a few special edition
Lebron James Dunks SB.
