Derrick Washington 💻🏀⛳️🏌🏾

Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky says they offered LeBron James a $90,000,000 deal plus a $10 million check before he signed with Nike “He came to Boston. We had an amazing presentation. I think he had already visited Nike, and we went into the boardroom. We go in there and Paul was one for the theatrics. He was the best salesman in the world. We made an offer to LeBron right there” “We're sitting around this table and Paul offers them, I believe it was $90 million. Paul stands up. He walks around the table behind LeBron. I think he said to Gloria, LeBron's mom, ‘What's the name of your bank?’ She says, ‘Akron Trust,’ or whatever” “He pulls out a check and goes, ‘This is a live check. Not part of the contract. This is a live check for $10 million. If you sign with us tonight, you can take this check back to Akron Trust and deposit it’” “We're all like, ‘Oh shit.’ That was a move. Also not telling his staff because he wanted the moment. I'm across from these guys and I see his mom trying to figure this out. I see Maverick unbuttoning his shirt, getting some air. And I see LeBron stoic” “He didn't accept the check. He asked if we would leave the room. It felt like a lifetime, but it was 45 minutes. We go back in and they basically said they had to honor a meeting with Adidas. Then they had a follow up with Nike where the rumor is Nike matched the $100 million” “I think if he had made that statement and come to Reebok, it would have changed our position in basketball forever”