Coming off an MVP season, Russell Westbrook has made quite a name for himself in the NBA. Now, he is the new frontman for the Jordan Brand after signing a massive 10-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid athlete signed by the company.
According to a report from Nick DePaula of ESPN, Westbrook’s 10-year extension with Jordan Brand is the most lucrative deal in Jordan Brand history, although the exact terms and value of the deal have not been reported. The deal will run through the 2025-2026 NBA season. It stands to reason Westbrook becoming the new face of the Jordan Brand was inevitable. Westbrook just pulled off a historic MVP season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he has been aligned with the Jordan Brand since 2013, after starting off his NBA career with Nike. In June, the Jordan Brand released a special edition Air Jordan specifically for Westbrook.
Now, with this new contract in place, it is expected the Jordan Brand will begin moving Westbrook from being the star pushing Air Jordans to develop his own signature shoe. That leaves the door open for another Jordan Brand client to begin being the main star wearing Air Jordans on the court.
Jordan Brand will also be paying Westbrook retroactively for his performance during the 2016-2017 season, according to DePaula’s report. That may be due to negotiations probably getting started during the season because Westbrook’s initial contract was due to expire next fall. It is common for contract negotiations to be initiated a year or more in advance whenever possible, and with Westbrook and the Jordan Brand having all kinds of success together, it appears this relationship is in a great place.
Westbrook initially signed a five-year contract with Jordan Brand in 2013, and after the last couple of years he has had, Jordan Brand knew they had to lock him up while they could.
[ESPN]
