Younger, Faster, Richer

By Heather Won Tesoriero Monday, June 02, 2003
    • High school senior Lebron James caused plenty of eyes to pop when the NBA's top draft prospect scored a reported $90 million seven-year deal with Nike even before playing one game as a pro. But James is not the only teen phenomenon to attract big corporate bucks. The same week Nike settled James' deal, the company reportedly paid $1 million to sign up Ghanaian-born soccer star Freddy Adu, who just turned 14. (Nike will not confirm exact figures.) He has been hailed as the next Renaldo — and maybe even Pele — but for now he's the rising star of the U.S. under-17 team. "Nike builds brands around star athletes," says IMG sports agent Max Eisenbud. "There is a reason they're getting involved with this kid. If he dominates the sport at 17, it's not a big investment." Two years ago Nike signed tennis prodigy Brendan Evans, now 17, for $250,000, and Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova, 16, pocketed $750,000 from Prince. The lucrative deals are a risk: athletic-company endorsements mean the kids lose amateur status and can't compete in college athletics, which can push them prematurely into the pro arena. The parents of tennis wunderkind Donald Young Jr., 13--the No. 1 player in his age group in the country — have been fending off agents since he was 11. "For now, we want to keep him amateur," says Donald Young Sr. "At this point, it's not about money. We want to keep control and guide him through the process."