Tuesday, May 20

Agent: 'It's still a three-horse race'

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By Darren Rovell
ESPN.com


Michael Jordan signed his first endorsement deal in 1985, a five-year agreement to wear Nike shoes and apparel that was worth a then-astounding $500,000 a year. In the coming days before the NBA's draft lottery, LeBron James, 18 years old and the projected first pick in the June 26 draft, is expected to sign a contract that could be worth more than $10 million annually.

James' agent, Aaron Goodwin, said he has been working around the clock to get a deal done, at least in principle, with one of three high-profile shoe and apparel companies -- adidas, Nike or Reebok -- before the NBA's draft order is determined on Thursday.

“ It's still a three-horse race. I have appointments to talk to all three companies today and there is no clear leader. ”
— Agent Aaron Goodwin on negotiating endorsement deals for LeBron James

The Akron Beacon-Journal, quoting unnamed sources, reported Tuesday that Reebok has offered a lucrative, long-term endorsement deal that would pay James more than $75 million. Tom Shine, Reebok's senior vice president of global sports and entertainment, declined to comment on the status of negotiations, but one shoe industry insider told ESPN.com that Reebok's offer has topped $80 million. Goodwin, however, said Tuesday morning that it would be inaccurate to portray Reebok as the leader in the LeBron shoe derby.

"It's still a three-horse race," said Goodwin, who declined to comment on the terms of any offer. "I have appointments to talk to all three companies today and there is no clear leader."

Reebok, which only recently entered the LeBron derby after James declared for the NBA draft, made the first pitch, presenting James and his family with an inventive offer that one source said even shocked the James camp. Adidas presented its offer to James in Los Angeles and coupled its pitch with advertising on billboards and buses in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, with messages aimed at LeBron, who wore adidas during most of his high school career. The favorite, Nike, gave a well-rehearsed presentation this past weekend that company executives had been working on for months.

All proposed deals include plans for an extensive shoe and apparel line and, as is customary with such high-profile deals these days, James likely will receive additional royalties on sales of his product above a prescribed threshold. The winner is expected to spend at least $10 million to lock up James, one insider said, with the time frame of the first contract expected to be between six and eight years, plus options to extend the deal.

Although the total value of the James shoe and apparel contract isn't expected to surpass the record five-year, $100 million extension that Tiger Woods signed with Nike in 2000, a deal worth half that annually would be a milestone given that James has yet to play professionally. Tiger Woods received $8 million per year in his first five-year deal with Nike. Venus Williams also was awarded a shoe and apparel deal worth $8 million annually when she signed with Reebok in December 2000. Reebok pays Allen Iverson between $5 million and $7 million annually, and adidas pays Tracy McGrady about $10 million a year. At the end of 2002, Nike had about 39 percent of the U.S. athletic footwear business, Reebok was a distant second at 12 percent and adidas had 9.6 percent.

Nike is close to wrapping up a deal with Carmelo Anthony, the former Syracuse star who could be picked among the top three in the draft, and the company also is expected to announce a deal soon with Kobe Bryant, once a penalty clause expires in Bryant's existing deal with adidas in June. European power forward Darko Milicic, also expected to go among the top three in the draft, signed a four-year contract with AND 1 last season.

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.

Where are the people now who said he's foolish for entering the NBA draft and not going to college? Oh yeah, that's right... they're too busy being slaves for $30,000 a year jobs!

no doubt and the highest offer are from addidas so far, nike is looking at 75 million. This is so crazy, but in this case I wish it was me... he must be stressed out about what is he going to do with all the money, this dude can have a career ending injury (ala bosworth) the first game of his career and be set for life.

I hope LeBron James fails. I can't stand him, he's broken NCAA and Ohio State High School Rules and he needs to pay. He's probably going to be screwed going into the NBA the other guys are just too good, just wait and see. Should have went to college. I would never play a pro sport.

Tim

Exactly Gio and that's why you take the money now and run. He can afford 100 college degrees after the fact if he wants to go to college. Some people just have problems seeing young black men from the hood make legit money... but I don't see them demanding we go into the hood and clean up drug selling... they could care less about that.

I heard Carmelo signed with Nike today.

Originally posted by stkmtimo
I hope LeBron James fails. I can't stand him, he's broken NCAA and Ohio State High School Rules and he needs to pay. He's probably going to be screwed going into the NBA the other guys are just too good, just wait and see. Should have went to college. I would never play a pro sport.

Tim

Tim... they must have some good crack in NJ, don't they? This guy is going to make 12 million on his first NBA contract and 75 million on a shoe deal... that's a guaranteed 87 million dollars and you're saying he should go to college? WHY!

...and also, who do you think he's been playing against when he goes to these Michael Jordan camps and such... they're all pro players that he's destroying. He might not be the next Michael Jordan, but he will have a good NBA career and be rich on top of that... something going to college for 4 years couldn't give him!

Mighty fine crack I must say, lol. I mean he should go to college on the side. Basketball or not, I have heard his grades aren't that great, and it's always good to learn on the side. All the power to him making that much dough.

Not to sure he'll destroy pro players. I think he'll wind up like Kwame Brown

Tim

Not to knock you Tim but I'm going to stand up for Kwame Brown here. After 2 years in people were saying the same thing about Jermaine O'Neal. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kwame come around in a year or two. The cool thing about these high school kids is that they are 19 and 20 years old in their second and third years and you can often get a steal on thier cards if they didn't kick the NBA's *** as a rookie.

BGray

So what if LeBron ends up like a Kwame Brown right out the gate... Kwame's still 21. He still has a ton of talent... he just needs to work on a few parts of his game and put on a little more muscle. Don't give up on Kwame quite yet!

Originally posted by stkmtimo
I hope LeBron James fails. I can't stand him, he's broken NCAA and Ohio State High School Rules and he needs to pay. He's probably going to be screwed going into the NBA the other guys are just too good, just wait and see. Should have went to college. I would never play a pro sport.

Tim

Tim you are my buddy, but now I am going to half to curse you, are you freaking crazy, you never hope that someone fails unless they screw you to get there, this guy did nothing wrong, IMO, do you have any idea how much his HS made off of him, right you don't, he deserves everything that is going to get, and here is another thing, who else besides mello is looking good really entering the draft, yeah you have a few, but overrall it looks pretty weak if you take king james out of it.

Iggy I have to agree growing up in the hood, this was kids dreams to make pro sports as that was the only opportunity, hey timmy are you still saying bill gates and michael dell need to go finish their degrees on the side, I think not, what is the purpose of college anyway, to start a foundation to get to where you want to be anyway. he is going where he wants to go, he has nothing to prove, he is going to a v, ve, ver, very, r, ri, ric, rich, young man.(taken from the boxer from harlem nights, you know what he said) The hell with college he can buy one.

Yeah, crappy draft class. Carmelo, LeBron, Luke Ridnour and Darko Millic look like the best prospects. I don't want LeBron to fail, I just want to him to keep his priorities straight just like all other atheletes. In fact, I can't wait to see him play in the NBA.

Well, he should go to college but if you're making money...I don't know, I'd rather be making tons of money, but be smart in the process. I'd go to college on the side.

Tim

college doesn't do anything for you, but show you have some stupid discipline that is it, you learn most of what you need to know on the job anyway, I don't think that there is any career int eh world you can't learn on the job, and be better than a person coming out of college. College teaches you to work for someone else, not to think for yourself, for the most part.

The sad thing is, now-a-days to get a decent job that pays well, you need that slip of paper that says you went to a certain school for 4 years. Sure it sucks, but it's the way things are now-a-days. True, you can learn a lot from on-job training, but hiring someone out of college you know you're getting a person whose education is versitile... also, how many people out of high school even know Calc?

yeah I understand but how many jobs use calc, hell if someone explained to me I would get it, if I had to use it everyday for a job. College prepares you for the corporate america, and that is it, not for the real world, you know college is a fantasy. I went for a couple of years and I did pretty well avg 3.2 gpa, but I left to go into the casino industry as a dealer and heck made 38K my first year and the last year I dealt I made 46K and when I was leaving the industry I was offered 68K for a supverisor and I have been over close to 100K for a manager spot in the virgin islands before. I left the industry to go into sales and did really well there and the funny thing is I meet all these 45+ guys that are looking for jobs because they got downsized with their college degrees and mba's. going for jobs you need no college for. The casino's don't lay off and they don't downsize, at least that I know of.

Being a financial rep I have ran into a ton of people that I interviewed for our company talking I am to old nobody will hire me and I got house and car payments kids in school, that is why people want and should own their own business,yeah 80% of them go out of business in the 1st year, college degree or not, but it is so much more peaceful, if you fail try something else, usually you will fail 1 or 2 times before it works for you, but you have to keep trying.

I am simply saying college is not for me, you can't be a lawyer or doctor without going to college, and just a few others careers but other than that you can be taught on the job, that is where you learn your job anyhow.

Tim, stop being jealous.

The reason a person goes to college is to get an education to get a job that pays you money.

Lebron will be getting PAID!!

Very few people ever go to college solely for educational purposes.

The question is: can Lebron live up to the hype

Originally posted by podstock
Tim, stop being jealous.

The reason a person goes to college is to get an education to get a job that pays you money.

Lebron will be getting PAID!!

Very few people ever go to college solely for educational purposes.

The question is: can Lebron live up to the hype

perfectly said pod, but seriously it doesn't really matter at this point, he is going to a very rich young man before he even play 1 minute of a regulation nba game. The money is on the ones betting on him, just like us trying to get the the cards that are might go up in value.

Originally posted by IggyWH
Where are the people now who said he's foolish for entering the NBA draft and not going to college? Oh yeah, that's right... they're too busy being slaves for $30,000 a year jobs!

I always believed that everyone who said he should go to college to "become a man and experience everything a "normal" kid his age would do" just said that because they were jealous of him making so much money.

Second I think that is TOO much money for a shoe contract. Do kids even buy sneakers for $200 nowadays? That use to be very popular before where you need shoes that were over $100 to be "cool" but times have changed.

He was supposed to make his decision... any word from anywhere who he signed with? I assume since he's been wearing Addidas stuff from HS that he's used to it and they would have the inside track... but just like Miami going to the ACC, money is the answer to everything.

nope I don't agree, I would have too, we have all took free stuff in HS, I just the few guys that went to my HS, that are now in the big leagues used to come back and give up gloves and bats, I just that was a crime too.lol

those leagues jsut want to pimp the players...

Originally posted by podstock
Tim, stop being jealous.

The reason a person goes to college is to get an education to get a job that pays you money.

Lebron will be getting PAID!!

Very few people ever go to college solely for educational purposes.

The question is: can Lebron live up to the hype

Why would I be jealous of him? I have more money right now then I would ever want. I get paid as well as do all athletes and people with jobs so I don't know why that's big news.

Lastly, "Very few people ever go to college solely for educational purposes."

What the? 90%+ people I know go to, or went to college for a good education. I believe all people who don't are idiots.

Tim

Originally posted by stkmtimo
Why would I be jealous of him? I have more money right now then I would ever want. I get paid as well as do all athletes and people with jobs so I don't know why that's big news.

Lastly, "Very few people ever go to college solely for educational purposes."

What the? 90%+ people I know go to, or went to college for a good education. I believe all people who don't are idiots.

Tim

I'm going to have to disagree here.

MOST people DO go to college so that they can get a BETTER JOB or more money in the future. I cannot think of anyone who is doing it to learn more and not make more money.

Well, I believe learning more equates to making more, so therefore the better education brings you a better job. Unless you're an athlete.

Tim

Originally posted by stkmtimo
Well, I believe learning more equates to making more, so therefore the better education brings you a better job. Unless you're an athlete.

Tim

Well college does not always guarentee a better education. There are some very intelligent people who never went to college and there are some very stupid people who graduated college.

And I wish having a better education got you a better job but in reality it doesn't.

Originally posted by stkmtimo
Well, I believe learning more equates to making more, so therefore the better education brings you a better job. Unless you're an athlete.

Tim

explain these 2...

bill gate--college drop out
michael dell---college drop out
and a host of others

College is a rip off, it used to be the thing to do, I got a buddy who has yet to finish his degree, he has 2 years to go, but he is the director of IT as a Casino in Cali, making like 100K+ a year and he employs college grads paying them 32K a year.

Why is it that so many college grads are working outside of their degree field, doing something completely different, then what they wasted all that money on... explain why all those college college degree'd people working at the United states post office delivering mail or working behind the counter, making 40-50K a year.

explain why at the casino I worked at we had many folks with mba's that were dealing dice and all that requires is a clean record and 6 weeks class and make 40-50 K a year with opportunity for promotion.

I could keep going

I just always got the notio you want to be well-rounded. It's different for Dell and Gates - they're both geniuses and IQs prove it. There are a ton of other people that should be going to college and are not :(

Tim

I am very well rounded but sitting in a class listening to some professor talking about something they know nothing about is a pain. I had this one class it was like a 5:40pm class and the prof had this attendance guideline and I was working full-time as a medic and I explained to here there would be days when I might run a little late because I might have a late ambulance call or my relief didn't get there early, and she was like oh well. I then went on to explain that 70% of the student going to night school worked full-time and some have different jobs than others, not that I was looking for a handout but just some understanding, if I turn in my work and pass all the classworks tests and quizzes who cares if I only comes to class on test day.

see because these prof's make no money they don't care, not all of them but a lot of them. even the ones at harvard and yale on make a around 40K.

you say they are exceptions to the rule, but there are a lot more than that, but you will never heard there name mentioned. Here is another thing I could buy a degree from a college for like $99, yeah it may be a non-accredited college or university, but I got this paper.

years and years ago, the onion skin paper was worth something now MBA's aren't worth the cost of the education. We don't have some of the highest unemployment rates in history for a reason.

and it isn't because you don't have the onion skin, paper.

Also, American people are so caught up with money and they are educated very little, nor do they care about it. I doubt LeBron cares about getting educated, and it will be all about money. That's just one of the points I was trying to make.

Tim

timmmy, what is an education? who says he is not getting one? Life has a way of educating a person, you are talking a formal education, you do that why?

What happend if he paid the schools to teach him at home!!!!

that is a rediculus price

why would you pay him that much

he has a lot to live up to say the least