<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sonics forward Kevin Durant scored the second-largest endorsement contract for an NBA rookie when he signed a seven-year, $60 million deal with Nike that included a $10 million signing bonus. The Beaverton, Ore.-based shoe and apparel company and Durant's agent Aaron Goodwin confirmed the announcement Wednesday. According to industry sources, Durant declined a seven-year, $70 million deal with Adidas that included a $12 million signing bonus largely because he has a long history with Nike dating to the eighth grade in Washington, D.C. "At the end of the day, Kevin has been with Nike his whole career and he felt comfortable with them," Goodwin said. "He took the time to give Adidas the opportunity and they're a great company, but he chose the company that he's more familiar with. And we build brands on authenticity and it's more authentic for him to be somewhere where he wants to be and he's comfortable." Durant's sneaker deal will include a signature shoe that will be unveiled after his rookie season. In the past months, he has talked about wanting to endorse a mid-range price shoe, and Goodwin said those plans are in the works. Durant's deal falls short of the $90 million deal that Nike signed with Cleveland forward LeBron James in 2003. Former Kentwood High star Rodney Stuckey, who was drafted No. 15 by Detroit, signed a multi-year shoe-endorsement deal with Adidas. Specific terms were not disclosed. </div> Source: Seattle Times
I bet he is happy. Maybe he'll use that money to by a weight room and bench 185 more then zero times. The thing about this is how much he got. While he will be good, I don't know how good. We all knew how amazing LeBron would be, but Durant, even though it is summer league. Has yet to impress me.
<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">We all knew how amazing LeBron would be, but Durant, even though it is summer league. Has yet to impress me.</div> Well maybe you should have watched at least one college basketball game. Durant dominated collegiately as a freshman the way no one has since Magic played the game. If anything, he's more proven than LeBron was entering his rookie season. Most of us actually saw him play last year though, and aren't just basing our opinions on a few broken-tempo summer league games, so we can't view this through your frame of reference. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">And how much did Kobe get from nike for 5 years? LOL At least Durant's shoes are gonna be mid level!</div> Kobe's pulling down $7 million a year from Nike, opposed to Durant's $10 million. However, Bryant already had a negative stigma attatched to his name with the rape allegations and his fued with both Shaq and the Lakers' organization, so he's not as marketable. Just look at the three top MVP vote getters outside of Kobe from last season - Nowitzki, Nash, and Duncan. They're all elite level players, but none of them have as marketable of an image as Adam Morrison, who played for one of the worst teams in the league and spent the second half of the season riding the bench. It's not fair, but these shoe companies base their contracts with players off of their fame and charisma, not their talent.
<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well maybe you should have watched at least one college basketball game. Durant dominated collegiately as a freshman the way no one has since Magic played the game. If anything, he's more proven than LeBron was entering his rookie season. Most of us actually saw him play last year though, and aren't just basing our opinions on a few broken-tempo summer league games, so we can't view this through your frame of reference. </div> I'v seen him play. I meant was he hasn't shown me anything special in summer league, but he has impressed me in college. I know he is special. However, to me this is a bit much for what he has done. Why hasen't Oden go something like this. Suppose to be the best D centre since Ewing, I'v yet to see an endorsment for him? I'm not basing it soley upon what has happend in summer league. I'm just saying that I think they should wait till he plays a game in the NBA before he gets such a huge endorsment. With LeBron I thought they should of waited also, but they didn't.
oden isnt marketable because he is a big man. only gaurds and fowards can sell products because their games can be flashier than that of a center. thats why we havent heard of any shoe deals for oden. anyway durant will be the best player to come out of this draft, i see oden doing well but not as well as durant, maybe ill be proven wrong but we will see. durant is very marketable, kind of like tmac and lebron, his shoe will sell alot even if it isnt that great (i.e. tmac 4's, the ones with no laces).
<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I'v seen him play. I meant was he hasn't shown me anything special in summer league, but he has impressed me in college. I know he is special. However, to me this is a bit much for what he has done. Why hasen't Oden go something like this. Suppose to be the best D centre since Ewing, I'v yet to see an endorsment for him? I'm not basing it soley upon what has happend in summer league. I'm just saying that I think they should wait till he plays a game in the NBA before he gets such a huge endorsment. With LeBron I thought they should of waited also, but they didn't.</div> From a business point of view, they have to invest in Durant and his potential way before he starts to reach that potential, simply because if they don't, someone else will. Either way, I don't think it's a bit much for what he's done. The greatest college freshman of all-time doesn't deserve a big shoe deal, but a high school kid like LeBron did? Don't worry about Oden either. He'll get a big deal soon.
<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">From a business point of view, they have to invest in Durant and his potential way before he starts to reach that potential, simply because if they don't, someone else will. Either way, I don't think it's a bit much for what he's done. The greatest college freshman of all-time doesn't deserve a big shoe deal, but a high school kid like LeBron did? Don't worry about Oden either. He'll get a big deal soon.</div> I agree with you, from a business view. They had to do it. I don't think LeBron deserved such a huge deal either, but it happened. I think Durant will be great, but if he was really considered the greatest freshman of all time, why didn't he get more? I know he is, but why only 60 mill? I know what AKIRA said was true, big man don't get deals, but I think Oden should get one.
<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with you, from a business view. They had to do it. I don't think LeBron deserved such a huge deal either, but it happened. I think Durant will be great, but if he was really considered the greatest freshman of all time, why didn't he get more? I know he is, but why only 60 mill? I know what AKIRA said was true, big man don't get deals, but I think Oden should get one.</div> LeBron got paid more because the suits at Nike saw more potential in him than they do in Durant. Still though, $60 is not shabby by any means. With the season he had and the current market, I think it's a very reasonable and deserved amount, all angles considered. I don't think that Oden has the same marketability Durant does, and not just because he is a big man, but because he has that nice guy mentality that has killed Duncan's marketability. He's got a less welcoming face and doesn't seem as bright, but at the end of the day, he's still going to have the label of 'the nice young big man with good character,' whereas Durant's going to have the label of 'the competitive, dominating guard with a forward's body,' ala TMac and LeBron. It's not so much a positional thing as it is an attitudinal thing.
oden got a shoe deal before he was drafted. he's also with nike. the day of the lottery he was in portland meeting with the nike execs. http://www.gregoden.com/gregoden062207.php http://www.sportsbusinessradio.com/node/1193 Even announced by him on his blog http://www.yardbarker.com/ncaa_basketball/.../Niketown/17112
LeBron received a larger Nike deal because there was much more hype surrounding him before his rookie year than Durant. He was being compared with Jordan and Kobe constantly while I've only heard of a couple of Magic comparisons and the "Best player in the draft in the last 10 years sans Lebron" thing.
