LeBron James became a happy man this week, earning himself a cool $500 million dollar lifetime deal with the sportswear company Nike.
It's being reported that two-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP is the first ever NBA player to receive a lifetime deal with Nike. He is set to have a new line of clothing and accessories coming out, ranging from shoes to headbands and even a LeBron James signature mouthpiece (ew).
This comes as no surprise, because Lebron James is currently one of the NBA's most well-known players with over 25 million Twitter followers. A sponsored tweet from LeBron's personal account costs upwards of $140,000.
LeBron isn't the only one who is "making bank" recently. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is poised to make $300 million over the next 10 years. As for the lead scorer of the Houston Rockets, James Harden is looking at a $200 million dollar, 13 year deal with Adidas, one of Nike's biggest competitors.
Many have recently been doubting King James this season because of an abysmal start (14-7) for a previous NBA finals team. Although they lead the Eastern Conference, they don't even match up to their previous finals rivals – the Golden State Warriors – who are sitting atop their conference with a 23-0 record. In fact, the Cavs' record barely puts them at third place in the West.
Some have pointed to injuries of superstar Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert for the less than stellar record, neither of whom have played yet this season – although are both expected to return to full play in the coming months. In their absence, the Cavs' are missing out on a combined 29.7 points – more than enough to give them an edge in their Conference. Their return is also expected to take some pressure off of the Cavs' starting guards Mo Williams and J.R Smith.
The Cavs' aren't the only team falling under the pressure of an intense season. The Lakers are off to the second-worst start in the league this season (3-18) after the decision made by Kobe Bryant to retire at the end of this season. He is sure to go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Among all this sadness and shame, there is one team that reigns supreme – the Golden State Warriors. Tried and tested last year they won their fourth NBA championship under the leadership of 14'-15 MVP Stephen "Chef" Curry and with the incredibly important help of Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
Their 23 game win streak has set them apart from the pack this season and they have no end in sight. If anyone is looking for a bandwagon to hop on, this is the one! They are on track to hold the record for the longest season-opening win-streak of 33 held by the Lakers in 71-72. Who knows exactly where this team will go? Can anyone smell what Chef Curry is cooking?
Check back next week and I'll tell you who is going to win the Superbowl this season!
