The £61 million schoolboy who just does it for Nike
By Marcus Warren in New York
(Filed: 24/05/2003)

An 18-year-old basketball prodigy has leapt into the record books by signing a £61 million sponsorship deal with the sportswear manufacturers Nike.

LeBron James, whose talents have so far been confined to the high school circuit, now ranks with Tiger Woods as one of the highest-earning American sports sensations before he has stepped on to a professional basketball court.

His package with Nike, which beat off competition from Reebok and Adidas to endorse the 6ft 8in schoolboy star, included a £6 million bonus just for signing.

The Nike deal was negotiated by the teenager's agent and his mother, Gloria, who often turns up at games wearing a "LeBron's Mom" shirt.

James's superstar status has been enhanced by his difficult childhood. "I saw drugs, guns, killings. It was crazy," he said earlier this year.

His mother was 16 and unmarried when she gave birth to him. His father has served prison terms for arson and theft and did not help to bring him up.

The family once moved six times in a year as Gloria attempted to find a job. As an eight-year-old, James missed 100 out of 162 days of school.

Despite his size, earning potential and spectacular performance on the basketball court, James claims to have his feet firmly on the ground.

But he is not shy of cashing in on his talents. "When I was younger I didn't have much," James said in November. "And now that I've got a little something I'm gonna take it."

Gloria has also been heard to yell: "Yeah, baby, we going to the bank!"

In a twist of fate worthy of the best sports story James's local team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, this week won the annual NBA lottery under which professional teams pick college talent, and immediately selected the Ohio prodigy.

"I'm staying in Cleveland and I'm real excited," the star said, surrounded by classmates from St Vincent-St Mary High School.

His links with his home town of Akron are strong and Adidas even tried to persuade him to sign with them by placing advertisements on local billboards.

The Cavaliers' owner, Gordon Gund, warned against expecting too much from him too soon. "I worry about expectations that he's going to be a star the minute he sets foot on the hardwood," he said. "That's not going to happen, I don't think."

Mr Gund, who is blind, was also trying to avoid any extravagant displays of support for his team now that they have the hottest property in American sport in their ranks.

"Not seeing, I'm afraid to jump because I don't know who I'm going to run into or what I might hit," he said. "But I'm jumping inside."