Caitlin Clark’s recent contract with Nike has been the subject of much discussion, and one of the most respected executives in the industry, Sonny Vaccaro, believes that the sports supplier missed out on a lucrative deal by not demanding the same treatment as iconic Michael Jordan. As the executive who was responsible for signing Jordan to a groundbreaking contract in the 1970s during his time at Nike, Vaccaro feels that Clark’s team missed an opportunity by not negotiating for a share of everything, similar to what Jordan had.
After his time at Nike, Vaccaro went on to work with Adidas and Reebok to grow their brands, making him well-placed to comment on Clark’s deal. He believes that Clark, who has been dominating Indiana Fever practice and striking fear in the WNBA, should have held out for a more comprehensive agreement that maximized her earnings potential. Vaccaro has been a vocal advocate for athlete rights and has spoken out on issues such as amateurism and NCAA policies regarding compensation for student-athletes.
Clark recently signed a contract worth an impressive $28,000,000 over eight years with Nike, taking her up to the age of 30. This deal works out to $3.5 million per year and includes the creation of her own signature shoe, making it one of the biggest sports deals in the history of female sports. However, unlike Jordan, Clark does not have a royalty agreement with the shoes and will instead receive a fixed amount each year for the duration of the contract. Jordan’s arrangement, where he earned a percentage of each shoe sold, has made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.
