On Nov. 14, NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. released a statement on Twitter that talked about a lawsuit he filed against Nike.
“Being a Nike Athlete And Brand Icon was a dream I’ve had since a young boy,” Beckham said. “I wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, LeBron James, or Kobe Bryant in the Nike Family.
“Unfortunately, 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.”
According to the lawsuit, when Beckham’s contract expired in 2017, he considered joining Adidas, but Nike matched the deal. Apparently, it wasn’t the deal Beckham Jr. thought it was.
Five years later, Beckham said he was due a payment of around $2.6 million, but the company withheld more than $2 million of the payment without warning. Later on, he found out the reason for them withholding the money was because he committed footwear and glove violations.
The wide receiver now believes that Nike set up those penalties as a way to make him sign a deal that wouldn’t pay as much. He says that he lost out on over $20 million, and now he wants to collect all his money.
At the end of Beckham’s statement on Twitter, he wrote: “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.”
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) November 15, 2022
