SUMMARY
- In the latest episode of 'All The Smoke,' former NBA star Sebastian Telfair gave credits to Nike for Michael Jordan and LeBron James' storied careers.
- Michael Jordan paved the way for athlete endorsements with his iconic Nike deal and revolutionized the sneaker industry.
Michael Jordan and LeBron James have etched their names in the history of the league. They ruled different eras and exhibited dominance that left an impact on anyone who has watched them play. Both of them are renowned for their hardworking and determined persona. However, an ex-NBA star recently credited Nike for Jordan and James’ storied career.
In the latest episode of ‘All The Smoke,’ former basketball player Sebastian Telfair who was a part of the league for a decade during which he was also teammates with James made an appearance. He hopped on interesting and eyebrow-raising conversations with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Amidst all the topics of decision, Telfair gave his thoughts on how endorsement deals affect the legacy of renowned players.
During this, he shockingly gave credit to Nike for James and Jordan’s successful NBA careers. The former player argued that even Jordan would agree that he couldn’t have done it without Nike. While Barnes and Jackson weren’t fully on board with this perspective, Telfair continued to say, “You are trying to tell me Jordan sneakers and everyone having his sneakers on did not help Mike with Jordan’s mentality?” to convince them.
In addition to this, without even hesitating for a second, he boldly said, “You don’t become Bron without Nike.” He tried to make his perspective sink in by dropping such statements throughout the episode. It is worth noting that Nike played a huge role in the way Jordan and James’ careers turned out to be. However, it would be unfair to overlook their hard work and determination to perform better than everybody else.
Michael Jordan paved the way for athlete endorsements with his iconic Nike deal
Michael Jordan was drafted into the league by the Chicago Bulls and he played his first NBA game on October 26, 1984. Throughout his career, he broke and made unbreakable records and successfully created a legacy. His Airness revolutionized basketball worldwide and became the face of the league. In addition to this, he paved the way for athlete endorsements with his iconic Nike deal.
On this date in 1984, Michael Jordan inked a deal with Nike and changed the sneaker industry forever 🐐 pic.twitter.com/AdudEtozje
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) October 26, 2023
While there is controversy surrounding this ground-breaking deal, especially in terms of the man behind the Nike deal, it is undeniable that it changed the sneaker industry. Notably, the Air Jordan deal in the 1980s ended up saving the brand as they were able to sell shoes worth $100 million in the first year. Jordan-Nike partnership continues to yield impressive wealth as just last year, Jordan was able to bag 350% of his career earnings.
LeBron James’ first deal with Nike remains the most expensive rookie deal ever signed
LeBron James signed his first-ever deal with Nike a night before the 2003 NBA Draft. This contract was reportedly worth $87 million fully guaranteed over seven years. Interestingly, the first James and Nike deal remains the most expensive rookie deal ever signed by a player. Over the years, James ended up signing more contracts with the sneaker brand and as his popularity grew, the cost of his sneakers went up as well.
Ultimately, the Lakers star ended up signing a lifetime deal with Nike in 2015 and left everyone stunned. Notably, there are only three players who have a lifetime deal with Nike and it doesn’t come as a surprise that Jordan was the one who started this small circle just like he was the first one to reach the billionaire mark. Recently, in 2023, Kevin Durant became the third player to sign this lifetime deal.