Damian Lillard just joined one of the most exclusive clubs in basketball, signing a lifetime contract extension with Adidas that puts him in elite company with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry as the only active NBA players with lifetime shoe deals.
The Milwaukee Bucks star, who’s having quite a week after helping his team win the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, has been with Adidas since entering the league in 2012.
This new deal is pretty massive – it’ll push Lillard’s career earnings from both basketball and shoe contracts to over $600 million.
That’s not bad for a kid from Oakland.
His relationship with Adidas runs deep. Earlier this year, the company did something they’d never done before in their 75-year history: they named a court at their Portland headquarters after him. The Damian Lillard Court stands as a testament to his impact on the brand.
Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, knows a thing or two about negotiating these kinds of deals. He’s the same guy who helped LeBron James and Kevin Durant land their Nike contracts.
The 34-year-old guard has been putting up impressive numbers this season, averaging 25.7 points and 7.5 assists per game while shooting a solid 91.6% from the free throw line.
His basketball journey with Adidas started with his first contract in 2012, followed by a huge 10-year, $100 million extension in 2014. The exact amount he’s earned from NBA contracts is somewhere between $281 million and $328 million, depending on who you ask.
Even after leaving Portland for Milwaukee this season, Lillard’s connection to the Pacific Northwest remains strong. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers, becoming a local legend in the process.
The Bucks (14-11) are hoping this off-court win translates to more success on the court as they head to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers (23-4) on Friday.
