We previously reported that Caitlin Clark signed an eight-year deal with Nike that was rumored to be worth $28 million. This caught the attention of the former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, who is speaking out to say that he believes that Clark deserved a deal similar to the one given to the legendary Michael Jordan.
Former Nike Executive Sounds Off
Vaccaro knows a thing or two about that deal, as he personally helped sign Jordan to his first Nike deal back in 1984.
“She should have gotten a piece of everything just like Michael Jordan,” Vaccaro told TMZ Sports. “She will never be at a higher peak than she was during college this last year in that Final Four. If she’s going to be the greatest woman player in the world, it’s going to take time to do that — and she can do that.”
Vaccaro went on to say that he believes Clark deserved a lot more money, and that there are multiple people to blame for the deal that she ultimately got.
“It was so poorly handled,” he said. “I thought they (the agents) handled it wrong. I think the reason is she, just like (Sabrina) Ionescu and a couple others, (felt) obligated to Nike.”
Backstory: Caitlin Clark Reportedly Close To Securing 8-Figure Nike Deal
Clark’s Nike Deal
This came after Fox News reported that Clark signed an eight-year deal with Nike worth up to $28 million. Nike had previously signed her back in 2022 during her time playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes, before she became a household name with her incredible performance in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. She became even more known in her 2023-24 season, when she broke the record for most points.
The initial Nike deal with Clark was set to expire this year, making her a “free agent.” Nike managed to get her to sign this new deal, however, which reportedly included her getting her own signature shoe.
Daily Mail reported that Jordan’s first Nike deal back in 1984 was for $2.5 million. These days, Jordan earns about 5 percent on all of his Nike products thanks to his own Nike apparel line. This figure reached a whopping $256 million in 2022 alone.
Clark’s Nike Deal And Salary Panned
Clark’s Nike deal and her $76,000 WNBA rookie salary with Indiana Fever have been widely panned over the past few weeks.
“If people want to complain about Caitlin Clark getting screwed complain about this,” said Barstool sports founder Dave Portnoy. “8 year 28 million deal is STEALING. 8 years 80 million min is her worth and that’s still prob too cheap. I hope she has an early opt out if they don’t pay up when she blows through this deal.”
Full Story: Dave Portnoy On Caitlin Clark’s Nike Deal: ‘Her Worth’ Is So Much More
It should be noted that Clark’s rookie salary is less than 1 percent of NBA first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s $12 million salary, which has led to a widespread debate about the age gap between genders in sports.
Through all of this, Clark has kept her head down and focused on her basketball, with her first game with Indiana Fever set to take place on Friday. Regardless of your feelings on her Nike deals or her WNBA salary, you can’t deny that Clark truly is a class act!