# Lebron James: Human Lottery Ticket. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894 "2003-05-22T21:01:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/1 "2003-05-22T21:01:56Z")
I’m not usually one to covet wealth, but good lordy–does one person (a teenager, at that) _need_ this much money??? [Oh, waiter! How much is the catch of the day?](http://www.boston.com/news/daily/22/052203_nike.htm) ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/2 "2003-05-22T21:26:06Z")
I know next to nothing about basketball but can this guy really be that good?!?! What if he breaks his ankle his first day as a professional player??? ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/3 "2003-05-22T21:36:02Z")
This is a telling quote- _ **"Nike is the right fit and has the right product for me at the right time," James said in a statement. "They are a good company that has committed to supporting me throughout my professional career, on and off the court."** _ (Underlining is mine) Part of why the money is so huge, is that he will probably be wearing Nike for the rest of his life (hell, he may be contractually required to be buried in Nike gear). They had to bid very high to get exclusive rights forever, otherwise James could only agreed to say a 5 year apparel deal, then start the bidding all over again. These contracts have literally hundreds of funky little clauses that can void them, but the bottom line is, that kid is getting paid like God to wear Nike. Basketball contracts are guaranteed, so even if he breaks his leg the first day, he still gets his contract money too. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/4 "2003-05-22T23:36:31Z")
Well, Tom Whiters, the reporter credited with that story, is a lousy reporter, or he would have found out that Jordan didn’t always wear Nikes, in fact, they weren’t even his favorite basketball shoes. Adidas were, but when Jordan went to North Carolina, he wore Converse because Dean Smith had an endorsement deal with them. And when he turned pro, he very nearly went back to wearing Adidas. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/5 "2003-05-23T01:30:17Z")
Being the mean spirited cuss that I am, I wonder just how long it will be before LeBron ends up with massive law problems. He is paid how much for wearing and endorsing athletic wear? Excuse me, but, he hasn’t found a cure for anything. I now have another reason to continue my boycott of Nike. (That and the fact that their shoes suck.) ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/6 "2003-05-23T02:04:10Z")
Some tidbits from [another article](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/apbiz_story.asp?category=1310&slug=Nike%20Endorsements): It’s a seven year deal, so $13 million a year. Tiger Woods got $100 million for five years, so $20 million a year. Athletic shoes is an $8 billion a year market in the US! Nike sold $2.6 billion worth of Air Jordan’s! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/7 "2003-05-23T05:07:26Z")
Well, let’s see. Keanu Reeves, the wannabe actor, gets $15 million for his latest picture. And if it keeps grossing like it has so far, I think he gets a percentage which increases that amount. He was employed for less than a year shooting the movie. Labron is worth every penny he gets. [sub]And don’t get me started on Henry Ford or Rockefeller, or…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/8 "2003-05-23T05:28:34Z")
Even if he gets hurt - and there are few injuries you can’t ever come back from, especially at age 18 - he’s insured. ---
**Author:** ![mishaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mishaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mishaa)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lebron-james-human-lottery-ticket/176894/9 "2003-05-23T05:43:09Z")
Taking into consideration how much Nike will make selling Lebron Jumps or whatever, yes he deserves it. He is esentially licensing his name and/or image to Nike. Wonder how much his signing bonus was. He got $1 mill from Upper Deck this week. I for one will be buying UD cards in hope of a Lebron rookie. But the mind still boggles, no?