Odell Beckham Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Nike. On Monday, the free agent wide receiver took to Twitter to announce the $20 million suit against the apparel company. In the tweet, Odell claimed that Nike hasn’t honored his endorsement deal. “Being a Nike Athlete and Brand Icon was a dream," he began.
“I wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant in the Nike Family." Despite fulfilling his dreams, Odell says Nike didn’t hold up their end of the deal. “Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises.”
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Odell is accusing the brand of “willfully withholding millions of dollars and inventing excuses not to pay him.” According to reports, Beckham’s initial deal with Nike expired in 2017. As the deal was coming to an end, Odell nearly switched to Adidas. Because of Beckham's high demand, Nike matched Adidas’ $47 million deal to keep him.
Odell says he was due a payment of about $2.6 million in March. Nike reportedly withheld more than $2 million of that payment. Odell continued on the statement, vowing to hold Nike accountable. “ I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love." As for athletes who don't have the platform that Odell has..."especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves.”
“I look forward to resolving this issue. And hope we can start a real conversation about protecting athletes and their rights.“This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change.” The former Browns star is currently recovering after sustaining a left ACL tear late last season.
Nike has yet to respond. Share your thoughts below.
