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.
