The rest is history, as James represented Nike at every turn of his historic career - from Cleveland to Miami, back to Cleveland, and now in Los Angeles. In 2015, their partnership came full circle as James signed a historic lifetime contract with Nike worth approximately $1 billion.

LeBron's contract with NIKE Out of all the sponsorship deals he has, LeBron James has a 20-year relationship with Nike that has been the second most successful in NBA history.

Nike's 'Pressure' is one of the first commercials that featured LeBron James. The commercial, that came out in 2003, traced the player's journey from being a kid in Akron to becoming one of the biggest superstars the NBA has ever seen.

Details about LeBron James' Nike contract were all over the place, with some reports noting that it was not below $500 million, while others said that it could be upwards of $1 billion. As for his annual pay from Nike, Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon reported that it was "multiple times" higher than $30 million.

Just past midnight in Akron, Ohio, the night before the 2003 NBA draft lottery, LeBron James finally arrived at a decision. The 18-year-old nicknamed “King James” put pen to paper on his rookie endorsement contract with Nike, worth a reported $87 million fully guaranteed over seven years.

Nike Inc.'s (NKE) latest headline deal with soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo - a lifetime contract worth $1 billion - is a prime example of these shifting marketing strategies, offering firms greater reach at a lower cost.

LeBron James Net Worth 2023

Contributor. Kevin Durant has become the third NBA star to sign a lifetime deal with Nike after Michael Jordan and LeBron James, he announced Friday on Boardroom.

Basketball phenom LeBron James has been caught in the hype storm since his freshman year of high school. And since then the hype has continually been building. By the end of his junior year in high school, the [then] 17-year-old James had already graced the covers of both Sports Illustrated and ESPN magazine.

How much royalty does Michael Jordan get from Nike? Michael Jordan earns about 5% on Jordan Brand sales as part of his licensing deal with Nike, according to Front Office Sports. Front Office Sports also reports that Jordan received $256 million from the deal in 2022 alone.

$1 billion announced an eight-year global merchandising and marketing partnership that will make Nike the official on-court apparel provider beginning with the 2017-18 NBA season. Under the deal, which is reported to be worth $1 billion, Nike will become the first NBA apparel partner to have its logo appear on NBA uniforms.

At LeBron's request, Goodwin made a final run at Nike. Goodwin gave Nike until the end of the day on May 21. That evening, Nike faxed a new offer - $90 million over seven years. At signing, LeBron would receive $10 million.