Adidas plopping down $200 million endorsement offer for James Harden
Houston Rockets guard James Harden is about to land a very big endorsement deal with Adidas.
James Harden became a very rich man when he signed a 5-year, $78.78 million deal with the Houston Rockets prior to the 2013-14 season and he’s made the Rockets very happy with their investment in him thus far.
Apparently Adidas is looking to strike hold in the well.
According to Darren Rovell of ESPN, Adidas has extended an offer to Harden that will keep him in their sneakers for the remaining years of his NBA career. That offer is reportedly worth $200 million over the course of 13 seasons, which amounts to $15.38 million per season or a pretty close approximation to what he’ll be pulling down for actually playing basketball yearly.
Harden, who was the runner-up to Stephen Curry for the NBA MVP in 2014-15, was signed to Nike prior to this season and with that deal now expired, the guard is now free to shop his services to the highest bidder. An offer of $200 million will be tough to top, even for Nike, but they’ll certainly have plenty of motivation to do so after also losing Curry to Under Armour the year prior. It would certainly be tough to go back to you board and let them know you lost two of the biggest endorsement deals in the league in back to back seasons.
Since arriving in Houston prior to the 2012-13 season, Harden has gone from a secondary option to a legitimate superstar in the game. After averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists a night in Oklahoma City, Harden has risen to a new level by posting averages of 25.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in Houston. That all culminated when he finished a close second in last year’s MVP race.
By landing Harden, Adidas builds up a stable of basketball endorsements that has been lacking in recent seasons. Derrick Rose was the big ticket the firm bet on, but his injury issues have sunk his value and hence the return of investment on the 13-year, $185 million deal they handed the Chicago Bulls star. With Harden, the brand gains not only a legitimate star, but a character defined as much by his facial hair as by the fire he brings to the court. If he can stay healthy, Harden could become the golden egg that Adidas has been looking for in North American basketball.
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