LeBron James makes NBA history just days after completing Philadelphia 76ers switch
LeBron James has made history just days after signing for the Philadelphia 76ers without yet playing for his new team in the NBA.
The 41-year-old left the Los Angeles Lakers in June after an eight-year spell but quickly dismissed any talk of retirement from the sport.
Instead, he announced his desire to compete in a 24th season and had a whole host of franchises circling for his signature.
According to ESPN, James' long-time agent Rich Paul spoke to 27 different teams - including his former employers the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat and regular rivals Golden State Warriors.
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But he ultimately decided to sign with the 76ers, taking a significant pay cut said to be worth $8 million over two years.
James is chasing his fifth NBA championship, and already the buzz surrounding his latest move has translated into jersey sales.
According to data from Fanatics, James has surpassed LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani by setting a new record for jersey sales in a 48-hour window for a player joining a new team.
Ohtani knocked off both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when he made the move in December 2023.
The exact numbers have not been released, but James' first edition No.23 jersey was sold out on the Fanatics website, and it's also been reported that he has moved more merchandise in his first week than he did when he joined the Lakers in 2018.
In addition, eight of the top 10 selling products across all sports on the Fanatics sites are related to James.
Mitchell & Ness, who are part of Fanatics, did not give sales numbers but acknowledged the strong performance.
“However, outside of recent marquee events in our Philly market, the launch of the LeBron Witness T-shirt and all Sixers gear was one of our strongest single-day retail performances, exceeding internal expectations compared to event-driven activations like the 250th celebration, FIFA, and MLB All-Star,” Dexter Childs, Mitchell & Ness’ manager for cultural marketing and partnerships, commented.
Why LeBron James will not benefit from NBA jersey sales record
James' marketing pull is still astronomical, and he remains the biggest star in the NBA. But the NBA record points scorer will not receive a slice of the merchandise sales, unlike many other sports stars.
In his Inter Miami deal, Messi ensured that he had a revenue-share agreement with MLS kit supplier Adidas and broadcaster Apple TV.
But for James, another one of the biggest stars in sports, he does not have that kind of arrangement in the NBA.
The money does not go directly into his pocket, as the revenue from jerseys and merchandise goes into basketball-related income (BRI) - the league's revenue-sharing system of which players typically receive around half of the pot.
His actual deal with the 76ers is effectively a "veteran's minimum” valid to a player with 10 years or more of service and means he has taken one of the biggest cuts in NBA history.
It has been explained that James' move is not a financial one as he is prioritising happiness and glory.
He is the NBA's only billionaire and has a separate lucrative endorsement agreement with Nike.
Topics: Lebron James, NBA
Josh Lawless