James has a $1 billion lifetime contract, but what about Curry Durant? There is no embarrassment without comparison
James, Durant, and Curry are not only the NBA face stars of this era, but also the three basketball players with the strongest ability to attract money, in addition to an annual salary of nearly $50 million, various commercial endorsement contracts are even softer, and their off-court income is much higher than the salary they get on the court. At the same time, Janduku is also the only three players in the league to have a lifetime endorsement contract, which shows how influential they are. So, let's take a look at the differences between the lifetime contracts of these three superstars.
James
In the summer of 2003, the 18-year-old James not only locked up the top pick, but also was contested by many sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Reebok. In the end, Nike signed James with a 7-year, $90 million contract, and his annual salary far exceeded Kobe, Iverson, O'Neal, and other top stars at the time. Although Nike's "big gamble" was questioned by many people at the time, James proved that Nike's choice was completely correct with his strength, and brought billions of business revenue to the latter.
In 2015, Nike signed a lifetime contract with James in order to bind him to the "cash cow". According to reports, James will no longer have endorsement fees after signing this contract, but he will be able to receive a 5% sales dividend on all Nike merchandise under Nike's name, just like Jordan. It is worth mentioning that if Nike and James terminate their cooperation and the dividends given do not exceed $1 billion, then Nike needs to make up the relevant parts, which is why it is rumored that James' lifetime contract is worth $1 billion.
Durant
With his excellent personal strength, Durant has been highly praised by Nike since he entered the league, and the signature sneakers were sold out of stock as soon as they were released, and the KD series has been out for 16 generations. In April 2023, Nike announced that it had signed a lifetime endorsement contract with Durant, who went on to become the third NBA player under Nike's umbrella to have a lifetime contract. Although the details of the contract have not been revealed, industry insiders estimate that the contract is worth at least about $400 million.
Curry
Curry was also originally a member of the Nike umbrella, but after being slighted he decided to switch to Under Armour. With the rise of Curry, Under Armour has also become a first-line sports brand in just a few years, and its annual revenue and market value have also increased year by year. Because of this, Under Armour handed Curry a lifetime contract in 2023, which includes an annual salary, partial equity, bonuses, etc., with a contract value of more than $1 billion. In addition, Curry will also serve as president of "Curry Brand" and will have Under Armour's rights to operate its own products, similar to Jordan's relationship with Nike.
It is worth mentioning that Jordan also signed a lifetime contract with Nike, and he can get 5% of the annual revenue of "AJ" products every year, and Jordan received more than $100 million in dividends last year alone. In addition, Maddie, Iverson, and Wade also have lifetime contracts, but compared with the above, their contract amounts are not far behind.