LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, shared a surprising story on a recent podcast, revealing that he was almost lured away from Nike by a massive offer from Reebok during his high school years. He recounted the experience of being presented with a life-changing sum of money but ultimately choosing to explore all his options.
In a recent podcast appearance, LeBron James, the NBA 's all-time leading scorer, revealed that he had been presented with an astonishing sum by one of Nike 's competitors during his senior year of high school. Before deciding to forgo college and enter the NBA , where he would be drafted by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, James was weighing offers from Nike , Reebok , and Adidas for his shoe deal .
Reebok went above and beyond, flying James and his mother to a meeting with their CEO, where they made a compelling pitch to the teenager.James recounted the experience, saying, 'The guy slides over a check to me and he says, 'If you don't go talk to any other companies, this is yours.' And I look at it. I'd never seen that many zeroes in my life.' Overwhelmed by the significant amount, James found himself in a difficult position. He had never encountered such wealth and was unsure how to proceed. Although the offer was tempting, he also didn't want to miss out on meetings with Nike and Adidas. James requested a moment to contemplate the offer, leaving the Reebok executives to wait while he discussed the situation with his mother. James shared, 'Me and my mom were living in an apartment. Section 8 housing. I'm going back, I don't have s—t.' His mother, offering wise counsel, told him, 'Son, trust your gut. If they're offering you this, who knows what the other companies may offer you?' When the Reebok executives returned, James politely declined their offer, explaining that he wished to explore all his options before making a final decision. He admitted, 'I may have cried on the way home. I was like, 'I could've bought the building that me and my mom was living in with that money!'' Little did James know at the time, his mother's advice would prove to be worth billions. James eventually chose to sign with Nike, and years later, he secured a reported billion-dollar endorsement deal with the sportswear giant.
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