NBA: LeBron James Signs Lifetime Deal With Nike

Basketball legend LeBron James has hit a mega milestone deal with Nike. LeBron James will be wearing Nike for the rest of his life, yes, for the rest of his life or you can say till he dies which simply means LeBron will be on the pay card of Nike till he dies. This is a massive breakthrough for the star who is the first athlete to get a lifetime deal.

According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, James signed a lifetime deal with Nike on Monday. Very few athletes get lifetime deals with a sneaker company (Allen Iverson has one with Reebok) and James is the first athlete to ever sign a lifetime deal with Nike.


From Rovell:

Nike has signed Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James to a lifetime deal in what one source familiar with the negotiations said is the largest single athlete guarantee in company history.

"We can confirm that we have agreed to a lifetime relationship with LeBron that provides significant value to our business, brand and shareholders," Nike said in a statement. "We have already built a strong LeBron business over the past 12 years, and we see the potential for this to continue to grow throughout his playing career and beyond."

A company spokesperson would not say how much Nike paid. It is believed to be the first lifetime deal in the shoe and apparel company's 44-year history.

A source close to the deal told ESPN that it easily surpasses the 10-year, $300 million deal Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant signed with the world's largest shoe and apparel brand last summer.

James has been with Nike since 2003, signing a deal with the company before he was even drafted by the Cavs. He then signed a nine-year extension with Nike in 2010.

The Cavs forward has his own signature line with Nike and launched his thirteenth signature sneaker at the beginning of this season. Now that James has a lifetime deal with Nike, it is safe to say, that there will be plenty of new signature LeBrons in the company's future.