LeBron Nike Contract?

[eazydoesit1]

Just a question I was wondering today, when is LeBron's Nike contract up? I know he signed the big $90mil one when he first came in but I don't thinkanything has happened on it since as far as re-negotiations or extensions on it. If it does become up, do you think he'll resign easily with Nike just fora little more money than his original with more lucrative bonuses or do you think he'll turn it into a bidding winner since he does have the goal of beingthe first billion dollar athlete? Although Nike is the best place for him to hit the overseas markets isn't it? Just a thought, would love the input?

 

[bhjkz]

 

[flintgrey]

http://sports.espn.go.com...tory?page=LeBron-Excerpt1

 

[thegggame]

9 years.

 

[DsLee]

^
7 years no???

I hope it's 7 years...I'm waiting anxiously to see what Nike will cook up on the last year of the contract year.

Mike stayed because of the AJIII...hopefully in 20 years, we can LeBron stayed because of the ZLVII.

 

[clkru]

yeah... i'm wondering if Nike will be inclined to keep LeBron. He seems to have a Shaq-like appeal to pitching stuff. He is enjoyable to watch andcharasmatic, but his shoe products just don't seem to move all too quickly. Plus, coupled with our tanking economy and the fact that any basketball shoethat isn't a Jordan no longer being appropriate for everyday fashion, I wonder if Nike will be hot on the idea of giving LeBron a huge new deal.

Personally, I only know of 2 people out of all my friends in Seattle who have actually bought a LeBron Nike product in the last year - one purchased and enjoysthe Soldier 2's for ball, and the other purchased (and returned shortly after due to overly bulkiness) the LeBron 6's. Personally, I'm lookingforward to the Soldier 3, but only because they resemble the Air Max Enforcer (a personal fav), and will only ever use them for ball assuming they aren'ttoo bulky.

Basketball shoes just aren't what they used to be off the court, and a lot of people serious about ball seem to go with Huaraches, Kobes, BBs, or overlyHypeduperdunk-type of shoes to play in.

As much as I love LeBron and believe that he is the greatest basketball player in the world (far more superior than Kobe), I guess I'm just wondering ifLeBron is even worth a big second Nike contract based off of his sales performance... anyone "in the know" care to touch on LeBron's athleticshoe marketing value?

 

[disasterpiece]

I thought his contract ended in 2010...

 

[jman8811]

^^Good point about basketball not being used for casual wear as much. Even Jordans that aren't retroes don't appeal for casual wear. I really hopedesigners start to take more chances on shoes. Most shoes in the 90's had an extreme love or hate relationship but nowadays it's just whatever......

 

[DsLee]

I just believe that Nike is asking too much for a LeBron sigs...to me the sigs should retail for as much as the Soldiers, and the Soldiers retail for $20 less.With a lot of kids wearing forces, dunks, chucks, and vans even; no on will spend $140 to buy a shoe to wear casually. Unless it's a retro or"exclusive" shoe, I don't see how kids would like a sig shoe enough to go out and purchase it for $140.

The VI isn't doing bad, but I hope Nike brings it come the last year of LeBron's contract. I expect other companies to go after LeBron.
It should get interesting...

 

[lilhen18]

Originally Posted by clkru

yeah... i'm wondering if Nike will be inclined to keep LeBron. He seems to have a Shaq-like appeal to pitching stuff. He is enjoyable to watch and charasmatic, but his shoe products just don't seem to move all too quickly. Plus, coupled with our tanking economy and the fact that any basketball shoe that isn't a Jordan no longer being appropriate for everyday fashion, I wonder if Nike will be hot on the idea of giving LeBron a huge new deal.

Personally, I only know of 2 people out of all my friends in Seattle who have actually bought a LeBron Nike product in the last year - one purchased and enjoys the Soldier 2's for ball, and the other purchased (and returned shortly after due to overly bulkiness) the LeBron 6's. Personally, I'm looking forward to the Soldier 3, but only because they resemble the Air Max Enforcer (a personal fav), and will only ever use them for ball assuming they aren't too bulky.

Basketball shoes just aren't what they used to be off the court, and a lot of people serious about ball seem to go with Huaraches, Kobes, BBs, or overly Hypeduperdunk-type of shoes to play in.

As much as I love LeBron and believe that he is the greatest basketball player in the world (far more superior than Kobe), I guess I'm just wondering if LeBron is even worth a big second Nike contract based off of his sales performance... anyone "in the know" care to touch on LeBron's athletic shoe marketing value?

Good post, I agree with just about everything but the "far more superior than Kobe" part.

Nike does have a big financial decision to make soon. It will be interesting to see the outcome.

 

[kingjames216]

Maybe he will branch off on his own kinda like MJ did instead of Jordan Brand we will have James brand.....just a thought never know with him..

 

[ArmandoJF33]

the only reason i believe that Lebron isnt worth as much as a Jordan Brand or Kobe Line is simple...Credibility....MJ has 6 rings...Kobe has 3 rings* withshaq....Lebron= None....If Nike pushed hard and signed Wade...Wade= One ring* with shaq....people will be more inclined to wear products known to associate toa champion....Becuase your not truley the best if you dont have a Ring to show for it!

 

[jmizzo]

Yes, wade needs to dump those Converse crap shoes...they have no grip and they are fugly...

 

[trippinonnikes]

yeah... i'm wondering if Nike will be inclined to keep LeBron. He seems to have a Shaq-like appeal to pitching stuff. He is enjoyable to watch and charasmatic, but his shoe products just don't seem to move all too quickly. Plus, coupled with our tanking economy and the fact that any basketball shoe that isn't a Jordan no longer being appropriate for everyday fashion, I wonder if Nike will be hot on the idea of giving LeBron a huge new deal.



Nike will never, ever let LeBron go...

 

[ydbounce]

the "Casualness" of the shoes is all up to Nike.
He has a couple good casual kicks but its like every other signature shoe.
JB has a good amount of casual/basketball sneakers, Lebron's line is still young but i have to admit they're have been a couple missteps aestheticallyimo.

 

[supervi11ain]

nike will not let lebron go. although lebron's line may not be living up to nike's expectations in terms of sales, lebron is the face of nikebasketball right now. sure there is kobe but nike spends a lot more advertising lebron than they do kobe. if they let lebron go the entire nike basketball as awhole will suffer

 

[bigtimejerky]

Originally Posted by SuperVi11ain

nike will not let lebron go. although lebron's line may not be living up to nike's expectations in terms of sales, lebron is the face of nike basketball right now. sure there is kobe but nike spends a lot more advertising lebron than they do kobe. if they let lebron go the entire nike basketball as a whole will suffer

touche. LeBron, believe it or not, will be the face of the game of basketball on a global scale. He's marketable in the US and across the seas. Its morethan the sigs truthfully. His endorsements towards the company is and will be a huge asset to their company.

 

[vidasman]

Originally Posted by SuperVi11ain

nike will not let lebron go. although lebron's line may not be living up to nike's expectations in terms of sales, lebron is the face of nike basketball right now. sure there is kobe but nike spends a lot more advertising lebron than they do kobe. if they let lebron go the entire nike basketball as a whole will suffer

COULDNT have said it better,,, NO DIS to icecixz but I really dont agree with any of that when itcomes to the whole MARKETING aspect that NIKE wants to go with the LEBRON line. SURE they want to mass appeal to BBALL players but they also know that goingthe casual route and marketing to everyday wear off court with apparrel then LEBRON is the man to do just that.

 

[hugree]

Originally Posted by SuperVi11ain

nike will not let lebron go. although lebron's line may not be living up to nike's expectations in terms of sales, lebron is the face of nike basketball right now. sure there is kobe but nike spends a lot more advertising lebron than they do kobe. if they let lebron go the entire nike basketball as a whole will suffer

exactly... while LeBron is signed with Nike he helps selling not only his signature sneakers but other Nike merch too.

 

[clkru]

"exactly... while LeBron is signed with Nike he helps selling not only his signature sneakers but other Nike merch too."

What Nike merch? LeBron's apparel is average at best and his annual sig shoes are not universally applicable (as in they are GENERALLY only found to beballerific by larger players) - especially compared to Kobe's clothes and shoes (and I don't even like Kobe or buy his stuff).

I'm starting to think that LeBron may have a mild case of the bigmenjustdon'tsellshoesitis. Its either that, or Nike has just totally dropped the ballon marketing him. He's far too good, charasmatic, and popular to have such average product.

I love LeBron, but Nike needs to step it up and stop making him seem like such a pedestrian pitchman.

 

[cels the younggod]

Originally Posted by Icecixz

the only reason i believe that Lebron isnt worth as much as a Jordan Brand or Kobe Line is simple...Credibility....MJ has 6 rings...Kobe has 3 rings* with shaq....Lebron= None....If Nike pushed hard and signed Wade...Wade= One ring* with shaq....people will be more inclined to wear products known to associate to a champion....Becuase your not truley the best if you dont have a Ring to show for it!

MJ got his first ring after having his shoe contract same thing with kobe. I think Bron sig sneakers especially the current ones (6s) don'thave crossover ability (minus the 2s and the 4s) they look like basketball sneakers and that's what they are true but I mean some people like to wearsneakers casually with a nice pair of jeans and Lebron kicks don't look nice under jeans

 

[DsLee]

Originally Posted by Cels The YoungGod

... I think Bron sig sneakers especially the current ones (6s) don't have crossover ability (minus the 2s and the 4s) they look like basketball sneakers and that's what they are true but I mean some people like to wear sneakers casually with a nice pair of jeans and Lebron kicks don't look nice under jeans.

The LeBron 6s actually look pretty good with jeans. As far as LeBron not selling shoes, I don't believe that he's not selling decently. When I'm at work a majority of people coming in looking for Jordans, but just quite a bit of people come in and ask for LeBrons as well. When we haveLeBrons on the shelves, they fly almost as fast as Jordans.

I'm getting repetitive, but like I keep saying; pricing seems to be the issue. A lot of of people like LeBrons, but don't buy em for retail. Although, when they hit FactoryStores...they fly.
Even most of us know that sig shoes will end up in FactoryStores for 79.99-89.99.
And that's when most of us prey.

 

[bballgeniusyml]

...

 

[rockdeep]

As long as the Pricepoint on Brons stays high.. he will never see Jordan Like Sell thru numbers on anything other than Energy (aka HoH SMUs).

Plain and simple.

Nike can keep Lebron but it has to be more of a partnership where they explain the market isn't doin well to sustain what they are payin Bron. However,they make alot more with kobe pushing HDs and his own shoes via Gorilla Marketing then Brons... and don't Market him with as much money.

Which means more profit. Notice they don't do NEARLY as many SMUs for Kobe as they do Lebron...

If they executed some ideas properly they could turn around the sales of Lebrons Sig line Alot more than they are doing now..and that goes for the rest of theinline stuff.

 

[igotthatfire247]

Originally Posted by Icecixz

If Nike pushed hard and signed Wade...

Someone said it! (I wasn't going to ... )