LeBron James: The Billion-Dollar Bet In 2015, Nike doubled down on their faith in him with a lifetime deal rumored to be worth $1 billion. With that deal, LeBron became more than a brand ambassador—he became a Nike icon.
1. Michael Jordan: The Deal That Changed Everything. The Nike Athlete: In 1984, a young rookie named Michael Jordan signed with Nike, and is still the most influential nike sponsored athlete.
Subsequent generations have brought about a few more athletes deemed worthy of exceptionally long-lasting endorsements, from four-time NBA championship winner LeBron James to World Cup winner Cristiano Ronaldo, both of whom are signed to Nike with lifetime deals.
How much royalty does Michael Jordan get from Nike? Michael Jordan earns about 5% on Jordan Brand sales as part of his licensing deal with Nike, ing to Front Office Sports. The outlet also reports that Jordan received $256 million from the deal in 2022 alone.