Deals since high school, James turned his talents into marketing gold

Scoring

For LeBron James, it’s always been about the win — on and off the court. Since he was a highschool basketball star, James has been playing another game, too. How do I maximize my celebrity? How do I monetize that fame? And how, at the end of every contest, do I walk away on top?

So far, he’s been winning big.

Brian Windhorst’s “LeBron Inc.: The Making of a Billion-Dollar Athlete,” tells how. And while it sometimes gushes like a fan letter, the message is clear for any businessperson: Listen to every offer. Don’t get greedy. Surround yourself with people you trust. And if you’re asked to choose between a percentage of the profits or a portion of the company — go for the equity, every time.

James, 34, has a vast portfolio now, but it began with people investing in him. Smart folks knew a phenom when they saw one. Even as a high school freshman in Akron, Ohio, he was on Adidas’ radar. The company kicked in $15,000 for his team’s shoes and uniforms.

That’s pocket change for a major corporation, but it was a brilliant investment. Adidas figured James would be headed to the NBA right after graduation. The sooner it established a relationship with him, the better the chances of landing him when he became a superstar.

Adidas got in early, but by James’ senior year, Nike and Reebok were circling. The three companies took turns flying the player and his mother around the country for special presentations. Reebok was rumored to be readying a multiyear, $100 million endorsement deal.

None of it turned James’ head. In fact, the high school student was already a millionaire, having signed a $6 million deal with Upper Deck, the trading card company. The day they cut his first check for $1 million, James coolly folded and pocketed it,

then returned to class.

Already, all of this was just business, a business he expected to be in long after his basketball career ended.

Ultimately, James signed with Nike. Deep down, he just loved the product and wanted to be with the same company as his childhood hero, Michael Jordan. Although it didn’t quite match Reebok’s magic $100 million figure, $87 million wasn’t too shabby.

The endorsement deals would only expand once the teen began playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Those contracts — his last one, with the L.A. Lakers, guaranteed him over $150 million over four years — would continue to build his bank accounts.

As focused as James was on the game, he always kept an eye on business. His basketball career might last another 15, possibly 20 years. But how was he going to support himself and his family for the 40 or 50 years to follow?

James put together a business team of three buddies; they called themselves the Four Horseman. The goal was to explore all opportunities.

It wasn’t just about the product, either. It was about the deal. Early on, James was asked to hawk Vitaminwater. The corporation couldn’t afford a big initial payout, so it offered an ownership stake instead. No thanks, James said.

He later signed a six-year contract for $20 million with Coca-Cola and re-upped twice since.

Vitaminwater wound up signing 50 Cent, and the drink took off. Three years later, Coca-Cola bought Vitaminwater for more than $4 billion. The rapper, who had grabbed the equity deal the athlete rejected, walked away with somewhere between $60 and $100 million, for three years work.

It was an essential lesson for James, delineating the real difference between being a paid spokesman and being a part owner.

Three years later, he had a chance to show how fast he learns. Music mogul Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre had created an oversized, upscale pair of headphones called Beats. But how to get the word out?

James and his team had an idea. Give the basketball player a supply, they suggested, and the freedom to pass them out to celebrity friends and teammates. Free advertising. Soon the distinctive headphones were everywhere.

It turned out to be a repeat of the Vitaminwater story, but with a welcome twist. This time it was Apple that gobbled up the small company, for $3 billion. And when they