http://www.nypost.com/sports/41091.htm HEY, NIKE: YAO SHOES, YOU LOSE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REEBOK & ROLL: Yao Ming is on verge of inking $75M sneaker deal with Reebok. October 10, 2003 -- HOOP DU JOUR NEVER has a seven- story man, elite or otherwise, created any noteworthy noise in sneaker sales, not even when Devious Darryl Dawkins tried to get rich in a hurry by advertising a different brand on each foot. Kareem, Shaq, Patrick Ewing, feel free to name the centerfold or his company, consumers simply haven't identified with Goliath. Yao Ming is almost certain to be the exception. Reebok's imminent signing of the Ming Dynasty for numbers ($75 million - excluding royalties - over 10 years with an escape clause after six) approaching those LeBron James got ($100M) to follow in Michael Jordan's swoosh-steps is certain to alter, if not end, Nike's global supremacy. In fact, Yao already has made marketplace history. For the first time since Nike began paying its shoemakers on the cheap and overpaying pin-up performers to promote/wear its product, the overwhelmingly successful colossal company has lost a treasured athlete in head-to-head competition. Solo artists like Kobe and Tracy McGrady (very quietly signed a $100M lifetime deal with adidas a year ago) were unwanted by Phil Knight's brainstormers when they entered the league out of high school. Kobe currently is under contract with Nike, having signed in late June for roughly $40M over five years. Adidas, on the other hand, recognized their value, thanks to Sonny Vaccaro, the same man responsible for engineering Nike's ascent to basketball prominence by arranging the marriage to Jordan. So, I guess you won't be all that surprised to learn Vaccaro's imminent appointment as Reebok's Supreme Court Judge Of Talent is densely intertwined with Yao eventually winding up as Allen Iverson's shelf partner throughout China, the U.S. and California. "Yao will change the global landscape of two countries," claims an unscarred sneaker-war veteran. "Chinese are nationalistic. Totally. They'll buy anything he's behind and he's already hot around the league. As a rookie, he was one of the league's few individual gate attractions and his commercial appeal is equally strong. Humility and humor is a communicably healthy parlay." "Of course, Grant Hill was hot, too, when he first signed with Fila," continued my footwear authority. "His first two shoes sold out. Then it became a matter of substance, and sales went flat. As popular as Yao is, it's imperative for Reebok to create an impressive signature shoe in order to maintain momentum." While on the subject of sneakers, sources say Nike, even if it wanted to, cannot dump Kobe at this time. Being accused or indicted for sexual assault is not a breach of contract, only a conviction or admission of guilt. I'm informed that company lawyers have received a mandate from the tippy top to radically revise that language in future contracts. In the meantime, Kobe's signature shoe, due out in February, just before the All-Star Game in LA, has been put on hold. Oh, yeah, if Kobe is convicted, his new home uniform won't be available in stores until next season. Did you catch Phil Jackson's statement about farcical speculation that Jordan might come back to play for the Lakers? "I don't think I'd ask Michael that question until it became absolutely necessary or it became a reality." Funny, that was the same answer Kobe gave about Johnny Cochrane. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If this article is true (its by Peter Vecsey) then Yao is about to be filthy rich even if he does have to give half his paycheck to China.
he only gives half of his pay check, thats excluding endorsments and whatnot.........i read somewhere that it was supposed to be a 100 mill life time contract
a victory for reebok and a huge loss for nike, on top of kobe. and who knows what will happen to james.
look at this competition between yao and lebron Yao-reebok Lebron-Nike Yao-Gatorade Lebron-powerade Yao-pepsi lebron-coke/sprite Yao-Macintosh Lebron-uh...hummer? Yao-trojan Lebron-Durex BRING IT ON!!!!!
the thing i find scary is that i actually ALREADY prefer the brands Yao endorses. While i openly "dance with the devil" (ie use microsoft products), i would like to switch to a Mac. If only i could afford the hardware & software...
Wait, no, when he said Macintosh, he was talking about OS's that people like. I say he will sign with LINUX.
