Odell Beckham Jr. was recently cleared to return to action, and his first move was to sue his sponsor, Nike.
The free agent filed a $20.6 million lawsuit against the sports giant, alleging that they failed to fulfill their obligations to the 3x Pro Bowler.
“Today, I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love — especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves,†Beckham wrote in a statement. “We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments too.â€
According to Front Office Sports, who obtained a copy of the lawsuit, Nike matched Adidas’ 2017 offer worth up to $47 million to keep Beckham on the Nike roster.
Unfortunately, states the lawsuit, “Beckham’s relationship with Nike began to sour” in March after Nike withheld more than $2 million of the approximately $2.6 million that Beckham expected as payment.
But the bad blood didn’t stop there according to Beckham.
“Nike stopped actively manufacturing and/or selling royalty generating products after 2020 to prevent Mr. Beckham from meeting the net sales trigger for the guaranteed extensions,” stated the lawsuit.
Odell did not mince words in his statement on Twitter.
“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,” wrote Beckham Jr.
The lawsuit claims that Beckham “has suffered damages of $20,625,000 plus prejudgment interest†so this is significant.Â
“This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change.”Â
