Odell Beckham Jr. is suing Nike, and he just released a statement explaining the reason behind his drastic action against the apparel and footwear giant.
According to Brendan Dunne of Complex, Beckham has filed a lawsuit against Nike for “willfully withholding millions of dollars and inventing excuses not to pay him.” Furthermore, per TMZ, Nike exercised its right to match Adidas' offer to OBJ–reportedly a yearly base salary of $3.2 million to $4.2 million plus $47 million in guaranteed extensions–in order to keep him. However, according to the NFL free agent, the fine print of his Nike deal was not truly the same and that it has cost him over $20 million in missed earnings.
Beckham also shared how he was supposed to get $2.6 million in payments last March 2022, but Nike withheld $2 million without any warning because of an equipment violation in his part. The former Los Angeles Rams wideout believes Nike made the claims in order to pressure him to sign a less lucrative deal.
“Being a Nike Athlete and Brand Icon was a dream I’ve had since being a young boy. I wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant in the Nike Family. When Nike exercised its right of first refusal to match the Adidas offer and not only kept me as a Nike Athlete, but also made me one of their Brand Icons—my dream had been fulfilled,” Beckham said in his statement.
“Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. 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.”
Odell Beckham Jr. added that he is “taking a stand” in order ensure that Nike won't do the same to other athletes, especially those “who don't have the means to stand up for themselves.”
“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. I look forward to resolving this issue and hope we can start a real conversation about protecting athletes and their rights,” OBJ added. “This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change. As this is now a legal matter, please refer any questions to my attorney, Daniel Davillier.”
Nike has yet to respond to the lawsuit by Beckham. It remains to be seen how it will pan out, though it could signify the end of the relationship between the two parties.
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