LeBron May Need NBA Championship To Achieve Global Icon Status
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James, In Identifying Sponsors, Looks For
Partnerships Rather Than Endorsements |
Everybody "loves a winner, and in some respects that's what it's going to take" for Cavaliers F LeBron James to achieve his "stated goal ... of becoming a global icon, along the lines of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali," according to Rich Thomaselli of AD AGE. Sports Business Group President David Carter said of James, "To date, he has handled himself and those matters within his control -- his performance on the court, his dealings off the court, his charity functions -- quite well. To achieve greatness on a global scale, however, does take winning." The Bonham Group VP/Communications Don Hinchey added, "He needs championships. You look at that triumvirate of what is generally considered global sports icons -- Ali, Jordan, Woods -- and one thing they all had in common was championships." James has endorsement deals with Coca-Cola, Nike, MSN and Upper-Deck, among others, but "little has changed since 2006." James' agent, LRMR Marketing CEO Maverick Carter, when asked about the "slow pace of marketing deals," indicated that LRMR is "looking for partnerships, not endorsements, and that is one of the reasons why Mr. James still doesn't have a deal with a financial-services firm or a car, for instance." Carter: "We've talked to GM, Chrysler ... we spent many months with them. It just hasn't been right. But there's nothing that says we have to have a car deal." Carter noted that James' official Web site, lebron.msn.com, "will be relaunched" this season and that a "new partnership with MSN will be formed to split ad dollars." Carter also dismissed rumors that James "was unhappy with Coca-Cola and would prefer to be with Pepsi." Carter: "We've always been very happy with Coke. Coke is a great, worldwide partner. The switch to Vitaminwater went perfectly" (AD AGE, 10/20 issue).
KEY PERFORMER: James was presented with a key to the city of Cleveland last Thursday during halftime of the Cavaliers' game against the Spurs in recognition of James being part of the Gold Medal-winning Olympic men's basketball team. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry presented James with the key. James also received the key to his hometown of Akron earlier this month (Cavaliers).
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