John Kim 
LeBron James has been loyal to Nike ever since he was pursued by brands long before his professional days. Late last year, it was confirmed that Nike had given the King a deal so sweet that it committed him to the brand for the rest of his life (yes, his life), and in a recent interview between GQ and his business manager Maverick Carter, the bare essentials of this agreement have finally surfaced. As it turns out, Nike gave LeBron James its biggest contract in history with a billion-dollar guarantee that will pay him throughout his playing days, into retirement, and into his final days. Now that we know LeBron is getting this kind of money, do you foresee other cash cows like Steph Curry and Kevin Durant demand big numbers? Read the excerpt from the GQ interview about the deal below.
How much was the deal for?
I can’t say.Come on, Mav! Can you ballpark it?
What are people saying?Kanye said a billion. So a billion.
[Maverick smiles and points one finger skyward.]Holy shit.
Yeah. It’s a fantastic deal. Nike feels great about the deal. That’s the most important thing. As great as I feel, as great as LeBron feels—Nike feels fantastic about it. It’s the largest deal in the history of the company. Their hope is he makes even more. And our hope is that, too, obviously.
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