In 1984, Adidas executives were collectively in trouble when they had trouble signing Michael Jordan.
Nineteen years later, the Three Stripes suffered two lightning strikes as they lost to Nike again — this time to another generational talent, LeBron James.
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James was courted by the biggest sportswear brands while in high school, with Adidas even sponsoring the team
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Nike signed him despite Adidas being his first choice
Back in 2003, the then 18-year-old James became the talk of the town when he entered the NBA draft directly from St. Vincent High School, skipping college.
It’s not just the Eastern and Western teams that want to snap up him, but also the Big Three of Nike, Adidas and Reebok.
Like Jordan initially, James was solely focused on Adidas, with former executive Sonny Vaccaro selling the Ohio native and his mother, Gloria, in a massive, ten-year deal. .
Andscape quoted him as saying: “(We were in) a tournament (during LeBron’s senior year) and I made a statement to the James team, not an offer: ‘LeBron, Gloria, When your son signs, he will receive $100m (£80.2m).
“That’s a statement of fact about where their minds should be. It’s a staggering number. That’s an NBA contract, not a shoe company number.
“I went to Adidas (headquarters) to meet the president. The only thing I cared about was $100m (£80.2m). They agreed.
“Adidas rented an incredible (house) in Malibu and we put the contract on the table. Gloria and I turned it over and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
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James entered the NBA draft straight out of high school and joined the Cavaliers
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The American star signs an initial seven-year contract with Nike
“The numbers changed. My number changed. I told Mr. James, ‘This is what you’re worth,’ and now, the number I gave him was not my appreciation of his worth. It’s all over. They just don’t May sign.”
Instead of $10m (£8.2m) a year guaranteed, James was offered $7m (£5.6m) a year guaranteed with possible add-ons of up to £8.2m, but turned it down – two days before graduating from high school. week.
The offer led to an angry Vaccaro leaving Adidas after feeling cheated, eventually working with Reebok.
Recalling the incident, he said: “This was the stupidest mistake ever made in the history of negotiations.
“If he signs (with Adidas), the whole world will change.”
James’ first agent, Aaron Goodwin, made no secret that Adidas was his first choice but was very disappointed with the contract he was handed.
He said: “The truth of the whole thing is that LeBron is a member of Adidas. If Adidas made the offer they should make, they would sign him.
“I knew he wanted to go to Adidas. LeBron wanted Adidas until Adidas screwed up in Malibu. Then, I wanted Reebok because there were so many.
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James has won four NBA championships and received multiple NBA Finals MVP awards.
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He is also destined for great things in the sport
“But I think Nike is the only company that can make products for him.”
Adidas failed to complete the deal and Nike stepped in, offering him an initial seven-year contract worth $87m (£70m).
To this day, his contract with Nike remains the most expensive rookie shoe contract in NBA history.
What James didn’t know was that Nike had been developing its own shoes while he was in high school.
In arguably one of the best displays of all time for an athlete, they showed James his own sneakers — in his own size.
Their high-risk, high-reward approach to designing a shoe without landing a player ultimately paid off, with James subsequently signing a lucrative NBA contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James, wearing a black Nike tracksuit and white Air Force 1s, said simply: “I’m a Nike guy” during a news conference after the draw.
As expected, James became one of the greatest players in NBA history – winning four NBA championships.
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James is the scoring leader in NBA history
The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who at age 38 was still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, became the first active basketball player to become a billionaire.
According to Forbes, James has signed a 32-year, $25.6m-a-year contract with Nike, almost five times what Adidas was willing to pay him two decades ago.
The deal will forever haunt Adidas, reminding the brand of its failure every season.
As the leading scorer in NBA history, James’ name is forever etched in sports folklore.
And he hasn’t finished speaking yet…