...
"What? Han is back in Cleveland?!"
When Rich Paul told James about what was happening outside, James was utterly dumbfounded.
This summer, he had signed a four-year extension with Nike for $80 million, similar in price to his previous contract.
But a shoe contract is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you will fall behind.
Normally, his third contract should have been a lifetime deal with Nike.
Instead, Nike had just signed Durant to a ten-year, $300 million extension.
The contrast in contracts clearly showed that even though Durant hadn't won the championship last season, Nike was shifting its focus.
This wasn't surprising, especially since James hadn't achieved any notable results in the past two years.
Moreover, James's extension came with a price—he had to comply unconditionally with Nike's arrangements.
His team had been in talks with Adidas too, but Adidas seemed more interested in another James—James Harden.
