By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
January 6, 2012
He isn’t as recognizable as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, but Derrick Rose’s bank account could soon resemble those of the NBA’s most high-profile stars. Rose, the 2011 NBA most valuable player, is close to signing a lifetime endorsement contract with Adidas. The deal reportedly is worth $250 million over 10 years, which would give the Chicago Bulls star the most lucrative shoe deal in the NBA. Also adding to his riches, Rose recently signed a five-year, $95 million extension with the Bulls.
The magnitude of the deal illustrates how important Rose is to Adidas’ basketball strategy. Rose’s shoes already outsell LeBron James Nike shoes in China, and are second only to Kobe Bryant in the huge, relatively untapped market. Ironically, if Rose continues to improve as a player, he could do for Adidas what Bulls legend Michael Jordan did for Nike.
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