LeBron James Explains Why He Turned Down $10 Million From Reebok

LeBron James discussed his meetings with sneakers on the New Heights Podcast.

Nov 29, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Of the many sports podcast shows online, none get bigger stars than New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce. The two football legends consistently get the most popular athletes to appear on their show and answer interesting questions.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appeared on the most recent episode of New Heights to discuss his legendary career and unequaled life.

Around the 40-minute mark, Travis asked James if Nike was always his first choice for a sneaker sponsor. James clarified that it was not and told a fascinating story about how his mother, Gloria, helped change the course of sneaker history.

James loved Nike and its iconic athletes as a child, but adidas sponsored his basketball teams from middle school through high school. Then, during James' senior year of high school, he took pitches from adidas, Nike, and Reebok.

"The best pitch I got, where I thought I was actually going to end up, was Reebok," said James. James explained during his Reebok meeting that a company executive offered him a check for $10 million, contingent on his not meeting with any other brands.

James asked to take a break from the meeting and spoke with his mom in private. Gloria said, "Son, trust your gut. If they are offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you."

James trusted his gut and politely declined the offer. He said, "Thank you, I want to continue this conversation. But I would be remiss if I did not take those other pitches from the other companies." James joked that he may have cried on the way home.

However, he made the right decision as the negotiations eventually hit unprecedented levels. On May 22, 2003, James signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike. Reebok reportedly offered $115 million, while adidas offered less than $60 million.

A little more than a decade later, James signed a historic lifetime contract with Nike worth approximately $1 billion in 2015. So far, the Nike LeBron sneaker line has launched 22 signature models and countless other budget-friendly models.

Best of all, there is no sign of James slowing down on the court or in the sneaker industry. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NBA and beyond.

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