Published 13:22 IST, January 9th 2020
LeBron James and Liverpool: Cross-sport alliance fortified by new Nike deal
LeBron James became a minority stakeholder in Liverpool during his Miami Heat days in 2011. His lifelong deal with Nike influenced the deal with Liverpool.
The image of a red Liver bird rooted itself on LeBron James' Instagram profile earlier this week. "YNWA" read the caption on the Lakers star's post. The deal was done. Nike is now set to be Liverpool's official kit partner come next season.
Liverpool-Nike deal fortifies cross-sport alliance between Premier League giants and LeBron James
LeBron James is a minority shareholder at Liverpool courtesy of a partnership struck between Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and the Lakers star's marketing company LRMR in 2011.
"These guys, like me, have a passion for sports. You can see the drive and commitment they have for their teams. For me, this is about being in business with an organisation that loves sports as much as I do," the NBA star was quoted as saying after the deal was struck with FSG during his Miami Heat days.
More LeBron James-Liverpool collaborations on the cards?
Now, it appears that other collaborations could be in store after both Liverpool and Nike confirmed the deal earlier this week. If rumours are to be believed, Liverpool's deal with Nike could be the most lucrative kit deal in this history of the Premier League, effectively surpassing Manchester United's deal with Nike's rival, Adidas.
However, Jurgen Klopp remains opposed to any Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur style fly-on-the-wall documentary featuring Liverpool. While the club did release a Being Liverpool series before the Jurgen Klopp era, the Liverpool manager was quoted as saying that he would leave the club if he were asked to film a similar series.
LeBron James, Serena Williams, Drake key to Liverpool-Nike deal ruling
New Balance's association with Liverpool will now come to an end after an 8-year association following a court ruling. Interestingly, the judge who presided over the case mentioned LeBron James and his global appeal as one of the reasons for the verdict.
In his ruling, Justice Nigel Teare said, “Billy Hogan (Liverpool's managing director and chief commercial officer) told me that LeBron James is the world's most famous basketball player, that Serena Williams, having dominated women's tennis for 20 years, is one of the most famous athletes in the world and that Drake was the world's top-selling recording artist in 2016 and 2018.” Liverpool's kit deal with Nike will be effective from June 1, 2020.
Updated 13:22 IST, January 9th 2020