LeBron James, a billionaire athlete, credits his mother’s management for playing a pivotal role in shaping his success.
Since entering the NBA straight out of high school in 2003, LeBron has been a Nike athlete. However, he revealed that he initially had the chance to sign with Reebok for $10 million, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
During a recent appearance on the “New Heights” podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, LeBron reflected on his 20-plus-year NBA career and shared the story behind his decision to partner with Nike over Reebok.
High School Dreams
As the projected No. 1 draft pick, LeBron was poised for NBA stardom early in his rookie season ahead of being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the hometown hero. Many brands were eager to secure his endorsement.
One of the companies making a bold move was Reebok, which aimed to secure LeBron exclusively with a $10 million deal. The agreement would prevent him from engaging with other brands such as Nike or Adidas, according to Finurah’s sister site, The Shadow League.
A Reebok executive brought LeBron into a meeting, where he handed the three-time Ohio Mr. Basketball (a high school achievement similar to being named the state’s player of the year) a check. The executive applied pressure on LeBron to make an eight-figure decision at the age of 18: sign the contract or miss out on this opportunity.
“The guy slides over a check to me and he says ‘If you don’t go talk to any other companies, this is yours,’” Lebron said. “And I look at it. $10 million f—ing dollars. I was a high school senior!”
LeBron, who was managed by his mother Gloria, did not come from wealth but understood that better opportunities were ahead, so he declined Reebok’s offer.
“Me and my mom were living in an apartment. Section 8 housing. I’m going back [after the meeting], I don’t have s—t,” he said. “My mom looked at me. She said ‘Son, trust your gut. If they’re offering you this, who knows what the other companies may offer you?’”
During a break session, LeBron consulted with his mother and decided to return the check he received from a Reebok executive. He informed him that he would be exploring other options.
The decision was difficult for LeBron, and he admitted to feeling emotional about it on his way home, as reported by CNBC.
“I may have cried on the way home. I was like ‘I could’ve bought the building that me and my mom was living in with that money!’” LeBron said.
Trusting in his gut like his mother advised was indeed the better decision after accepting Nike’s $87 million deal for seven years on May 22, 2003, re-signing in 2010 for $30 million with a shoe endorsement deal that was based on performance incentives instead of an upfront salary, that would eventually become a lifetime contract in 2015 worth a billion.
In that same May 2003, it was revealed that Reebok reportedly offered more money, $115 million to be exact. Adidas offered LeBron the lowest, less than $60 million, Sports Illustrated reported.
LeBron James, a graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003, went on to win NBA championships in 2012, 2013, and 2016. The latter two titles were earned with the Cavaliers, while his first championship in 2012 was with the Miami Heat, where he also won the Finals MVP.
Most recently, LeBron, now 40, won his fourth championship in 2020 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, he triumphed in the 2023 in-season NBA Cup and secured a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he also earned MVP honors. Currently, he holds the record as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
Nike seemingly had a prized player in its grasp, so it made sense for the company to award LeBron with a lifetime deal.
“We can confirm that we have agreed to a lifetime relationship with LeBron that provides significant value to our business, brand, and shareholders,” the company said in a statement at the time, The New York Times reported on Dec. 8, 2015. “We have already built a strong LeBron business over the past 12 years, and we see the potential for this to continue to grow throughout his playing career and beyond.”
In total, Nike has released 22 signature models of LeBron sneakers, Sports Illustrated reported.
