Who of the NBA players signed the most expensive sponsorship contract?

He has not played in the NBA for almost 20 years, but fans and the media are still arguing whether he deserves the title of “The Best NBA Player of All Time.” But if we talk about sneakers, then, in this case, he certainly has no equals.

This basketball legend has been collaborating with Nike for many years. The sports giant signed a five-year contract with him back in 1984, when the future star was still a student at the University of North Carolina’s, playing in a local basketball club. The beginner sportsman earned $500.000 a year according to his first sponsorship contract.  Last fall, he introduced the world’s first-ever Air Jordan XXXIII basketball shoe with no laces. They fix the foot with a system of threads that are attached to the sole and tightened from above.

All these facts concern Michael Jordan, the one who no longer plays basketball professionally, but leads the Forbes list thanks to the famous Nike sneakers, having signed the most expensive sponsorship contracts of all the NBA players.

From May 2018 to May 2019, the total revenue of the Jordan brand, developed by Nike for the legendary basketball player, amounted to $3.14 billion and 10% higher than the previous financial year. Moreover, he earned about $130 million, which is four times more than LeBron James thanks to the royalties.  The forward of the Los Angeles Lakers received $32 million from Nike and took second place in the ranking of basketball players with the most profitable sponsorships contracts with manufacturers of sportswear and shoes last year. However, the fact remains – Michael Jordan played the last match in his professional career in 2003, but even 16 years later, many more things are sold under the Jordan brand around the world than the personalized sneakers of all current NBA players rolled taken all together.