I have been wondering what the NIKE Brass are thinking about Lebron this season and post-season. Are they happy with their investment? I think they must be questioning the longterm return on this investment.

And with what happened to Tiger in the last year, I doubt they wanted Lebron to disappear in the finals and then say the things he has. The Lebron Brand is losing its luster.

Nike is having a really tough time with its two flagship icons.

And then Oregon's stud distance running track chick flamed out at the national championships. Tough times for Knight - might have lay off a few 6 year olds in Shanghai.

NIKE has not done that well with their deals lately.

Tiger has made them more money than they could have ever imagined but it has turned south.

Lebron has been all hype and does not appear to be the next MJ, especially marketing wise. Does anyone really want to wear a Lebron shoe?

Kobe signed his deal with NIKE and then days later was accused of Rape in Colorado.

i don't know, but this was on the back of my DMN 18-page special section on the championship run yesterday



Source

While Dirk is not at the endorsement level of Tiger, Kobe or Lebron........

Is Dirk Now Cursed?

You can't listen to sports radio or watch sports on TV for 15 minutes without a Lebron reference. Him and Tiger are the 2 most high profile athletes and the drama has only elevated their status.

Tiger isn't going anywhere. The average citizen could probably name you only two professional golfers max and my guess is that 100% of the time, one of those named is Tiger Woods. He has been the face of golf for the past 15 years and his earning power, especially with Nike, isn't falling off hard anytime soon. I think he read he was the number one earner last year among all athletes.

Same thing with LeBron. That's also why Kobe is a top earner. While neither have Jordan's marketability (I don't think anyone will get there), they are both names that transcend sports. Because they are known to the average consumer, they will always produce big numbers.

Now Nike is not going to drop Tiger or anything like that, but the Tiger Woods line of clothes is not selling like it used to. You barely even see the line these days.

Hate to say it, but lebron is still young, just got though his very first year playing with a new coach, new plays, and new players, he still could be one of the best players ever, it's dumb to write him off now

He can statistically be one of the best players ever, but unless he dramatically changes/grows up, he will be compared to Wilt Chamberlain and not Michael Jordan

Young kids around the world want to grow up and be like Lebron. It's the new "Be like Mike".

While he isn't winning championships and clearly not the best at PR, I'm sure Nike is more than happy with their investment. The dude sells product like crazy.

7 of the top 10 selling basketball shoes on Air Jordan Brand

I thought the defining moment of LeBron's Finals was when he had Barrea guarding him near the block, and instead of just turning and shooting a routine 12 footer, he just shoved Barrea to the ground and got the offensive foul. That's the equivalent of me not being able to take a 2nd grader. It told you all you need to know about LeBron's weaknesses - 8 years into his career, and he doesn't know what to do when he's being guarded by a pygmy with no double.

That said, it does set up the perfect opportunity for him to get better, show the world that he's willing to work on his game, and become a complete player. It's kinf of strange, but I think it really opens the door for people to start rooting FOR him. He's always been this enormously talented freak of nature; finally, there is something that he needs to overcome. This is the kind of story that Americans really like.

If the same old LeBron happens to dunk his way to a title in the next few years, I don't know that it will change most people's opinion. I'm waiting to see if he can PLAY his way to one. For all of the criticism he's received, he's probably still a better human being than Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.

People are going way overboard with the stuff about LeBron. Just 2 weeks ago, he was supposedly the BEST PLAYER EVER OMG!!!!!

Nike is quite happy with him, no doubt. He's one of the best athletes alive. He won 2 MVP's in the last 3 years and led his team to the Finals this year. Trust me, Nike is quite happy with him.

It's amazing to see the way people suddenly think LeBron sucks. Is he Jordan? No. Was he Jordan 2 weeks ago? No. Do people need to quit saying someone is the best ever every time they have a good month? YES. Is LeBron one of the best talents ever? Unquestionably. Will he ever be as good as Jordan? No. Have I answered enough of my own questions? Yes.

I don't know about their spokesmen, but their product line is not doing well. Its pretty sad when Under Armour, a 15-18 year old company with a shoe division in its infancy, is making a better product than Nike.