Odell Beckham Jr. is suing Nike, claiming the apparel giant suppressed the sale of sneakers that would have spurred a financially lucrative contract extension.
“Today, I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their lives to the sport they love – especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves,” he said in a statement provided to The Post.
“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.”
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The 30-year-old free-agent wideout says he considered joining Adidas when his Nike contract was set to expire in 2017. Nike matched Adidas’ offer and made him one of the brand icons in the process.
Beckham, however, says Nike “did not honor its commitments,” with a different structure in place to keep him from triggering valuable extensions.
According to TMZ, the Super Bowl 2022 winner was due a payment of around $2.6 million ($A3.9m) in March, but he says the company withheld more than $2 million ($A3m) of the payment without notice.
In documents obtained by TMZ, the ex-Giants star asserts that he was told the money was not paid out due to footwear and glove violations, stemming from when he altered his equipment towards the end of the 2022 season.
Beckham insists he had to alter his equipment because Nike didn’t supply him with cleats or gloves that matched the Rams’ colors, and that the company never had a problem with glove alterations in the past.
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He believes Nike created the penalties to force him into signing a less profitable deal with them, and claims it has cost him $20 million ($29.9m).
“Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand,” Beckham said.
“I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises.
“I look forward to resolving this issue and hope we can start a real conversation about protecting athletes and their rights. This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change.”
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