LeBron James – Source: Sam Hodde / Getty
LeBron James is one of the most elite alumni of the Swoosh, but he recently revealed that Reebok offered him $10M before he entered the NBA.
One of the most famous signature sneakers of all time comes from LeBron James and Nike, but what if fate would have turned out differently? LeBron rarely ever drops by anyone’s podcast, and when he does, we get amazing stories about life as the kid from Akron.
Thanks to the Kelce brothers, LeBron dropped more epic stores on the Jason & Travis Kelce podcast. This time he detailed a meeting with Reebok his senior year in high school alongside a young Maverick Carter.
“I’m sitting across from the table; I’m a senior in high school….I’m going back to St. Vincent-St. Mary the next day, my senior year, and the guy slides over a check to me at the end of the table,” said James. “It was me and my mom and Maverick Carter at the end of the table, and he says, ‘If you don’t go talk to any other companies, this is yours,’ and I look at it….10 million f**king dollars.”
Unfortunately, Reebok never got the signature of the King, and following his gut led him to get bigger and better with Nike.
“I was a high school senior, and they gave me a check for $10 million if I promised not to go see anybody else. I told them I needed a break. They stepped out…And my mom looked at me, and she’s like, ‘Son, trust your gut. If they’re offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you.’”
In the end, the wisdom of his mother, Gloria James, and following his heart led him to Nike, where he now has a lifetime contract. LeBron and Nike have a 20-plus-year relationship, and it’s hard to imagine him wearing anything other than a swoosh. King James tunnel walks have debuted some of Nike’s biggest collabs and helped him get off some of his sickest fits.
However, it makes us question what the sneaker world would have changed if Bron had gone to Reebok.
You can watch LeBron chat with the Kelce brothers below.