LeBron James' rookie Nike sneaker deal at par with late Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

In 1984, Nike signed the very fist Michael Jordan sneakers deal for an annual $500,000. Since then, Nike has signed NBA stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. The company signed the LeBron James sneaker deal in 2003, which made James earn a handsome figure of $12 million per annum. 

Also read | Luka Doncic signs deal with Nike's Michael Jordan sneakers brand

LeBron James sneaker deal: James' rookie deal compared with Kobe Bryant's and Michael Jordan's

LeBron James' Nike deal surpassed the rookie deal offered to Kevin Durant. Durant's deal was worth $9 million per year, while James' was $12 million. In 2015, LeBron James signed a lifetime deal with Nike. As per reports, the deal will earn the two-time NBA MVP $1 billion by the time he turns 64. The 25-year-old NBA star was 18 when he signed the deal. Now, his latest shoe – Nike LeBron 17 – is priced at ₹16,995 at retail outlets around the world.

Also read | LeBron James sneaker deal: James reveals what he did with his first million-dollar LeBron James sneaker deal with Nike

Michael Jordan sneakers deal with Nike

According to reports, Nike's Jordan brand subsidiary made $3.14 billion in 2019. Jordan, who started with a deal of $500,000 per year, is reportedly going to earn $130 million annually from his current Nike deal. Jordan's earnings were four times than James, who was at $32 million. NBA stars like LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Mike Conley Jr., Blake Griffin, Maya Moore, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Zion Williamson represent Jordan's sneaker brand. Reports further claim that Jordan's revenue from Nike makes up 90% of his current annual income and is $40 million more than the $90 million he made while playing in the NBA. 

While late NBA legend Kobe Bryant initially signed with Adidas, he signed his four-year contract with Nike in 2003. In 2006, Kobe Bryant got his first signature shoe with Nike – Zoom Kobe 1. Back in 2003, Bryant had signed a $40 million deal with Nike. The brand recently released The Mamba Fury, Bryant's new signature shoe released after the Lakers legend's tragic death in January. 

Also read | LeBron James sneaker deal: LeBron James and Nike could release 'Space Jam' versions of LeBron 17s in Feb 2020

Kobe Bryant sneaker deal: Kobe Bryant new shoes released by Nike

Also read | Kobe Bryant new shoes: Kobe Bryant's signature shoe finally released by Nike since his tragic death