“I still can’t believe I left that” LeBron James still in disbelief after declining $10 million from Reebok to sign with Nike
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LeBron James
LeBron James was insanely popular even prior to joining the NBA. As a high schooler, he was arguably the best prospect according to scouts of his time. Naturally, he began to get brand deals and photoshoots. His talent was simply unique and nobody was nearly as good as him which was why everybody was after him. He was considered the next best thing after Michael Jordan.
As stated by CNBC, the Los Angeles Lakers forward appeared on “Kneading Dough” featuring one of his closest business partners, Maverick Carter. The baller revealed how he flew out of Akron, Ohio, and met the CEO of Reebok (at that time). James claimed that Paul Fireman (the former CEO) threw him a massive curveball that left him speechless.
Fireman had apparently offered the high school senior to sign with Reebok and cut ties with their rival companies. The offer given to LeBron James was worth a staggering $10 million. According to James, the offer left him lost for words before he actually made a decision.
The King’s decision to turn down the offer was solely based on rational thinking. He believed that maybe it was not about the money that was given to him upfront but about the value that it would bring to him in the long run. This decision may have been the start of “Le’Businessman” as many would love to put it.
LeBron James becomes one of three billionaire athletes
“I still can’t believe I left that $10 million,” he said, according to CNBC. He would go on to sign a $90 million contract in 2003 with one of the biggest sporting brands, Nike. This was the same brand that endorsed Michael Jordan as well, so it was considered a massive deal at that time.
LeBron James recently became one of three billionaire athletes in the world. The NBA athlete has investments in several sports with his most recent one being in Pickleball. He is currently worth a whopping $1.2 billion. He is still headed toward greatness in the sport of basketball entering his 20th season with the NBA.
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