LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Caitlin Clark (Image Source: GettyImages)
Caitlin Clark is already making the internet crazy before hitting the pro courts, setting her sights on breaking records. While the spotlight has been on the salary differences between NBA and WNBA players post-draft, Clark isn’t just counting on her WNBA salary; she has reportedly landed a massive Nike deal, one of the largest ever for a rookie.
Caitlin Clark has inked a 4-year contract worth $338,056, giving her a rookie-year income of $76,535. However, her eight-figure deal with Nike is expected to be a mind-blowing one. The details of this Nike partnership were recently revealed by Shams Charania of The Athletic, shedding more light on Clark’s impressive off-court game.
He said, “It’s eight figures, they told me. I said that as I hurried back. My major is not in math. That’s a minimum of $10 million. It’s well over $10 million, I was told. I believe it’s” reasonable to state that it exceeds $20 million.
The NBA insider mentioned that Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas contended for Caitlin Clark’s signature. During talks with Under Armour, NBA star Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors joined in via Facetime, which is pretty interesting.
If the rumored $20 million deal with Caitlin Clark goes through, she would have the third-largest sneaker deal in basketball, behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Only James and Durant have bigger sneaker deals among active players above the ballpark of the said amount.
Comparing Caitlin Clark’s Nike deal with LeBron and KD’s
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are both tied to Nike with lifetime contracts. When LeBron entered the NBA, he linked a seven-year deal with Nike valued at $90 million. Later, in 2015, he secured a considerable lifetime agreement with Nike worth about $1 billion.
Kevin Durant’s Nike lifetime deal caused quite chaos in the NBA and is estimated to be worth $300 million. Under Armour had offered him over $270 million, but Nike matched it due to their matching rights. Reports indicate Durant made nearly $30 million annually from Nike in 2015. This sets Caitlin Clark’s $20 million deal with Nike, positioning her behind these basketball icons.
After her college Nike NIL deal ended, there were talks that Nike would continue working with Caitlin Clark. Clark herself hinted at this by sporting Nike gear at various events. Her recent $20 million-plus signature shoe deal with Nike is set to solidify her impact in the sneaker industry.
