Clark penned a major deal shortly after being selected as the overall first pick in the WNBA draft
ClarkLAPRESSE
ne of the greatest Nike executives of all-time believes Caitlin Clark fumbled her deal with the sports supplier by failing to demand the same treatment as the legendary Michael Jordan.
Sonny Vaccaro was in charge of the giant at the time they signed the Chicago Bulls’ Jordan to the contract back in the 1970s in his first sneakers deal worth $2.5m which was later depicted in the film AIR.
Caitlin Clark dominates Indiana Fever practice, strikes fear in WNBA
Vaccaro then later headed to Adidas and Reebok to grow those brands so if anyone is well-placed to comment on Clark’s new deal then it’s the 84-year-old executive and he feels she missed an opportunity.
“She should have gotten a piece of everything,” Vacarro said to TMZ Sports. “Just like Michael Jordan. I’m saying to you [Clark‘s team] messed up. They should have held on to the last drop.”
Vaccaro has been an advocate for athletes’ rights and has spoken out on issues such as amateurism and the NCAA’s policies regarding compensation for student-athletes so it’s clear that he is also capable of understanding the value of the Indiana Fever‘s star.
What is Caitlin Clark’s deal?
Clark penned her signature to a contract worth an astonishing $28,000,000 across eight years with the American sports giant, bringing her up to the age of 30 with the company.
Per year, that works out at $3.5m per year and she will also found her own signature shoe in one of the biggest sports deals in the history of female sports – showcasing just the incredible influence and stardom she’s already reaching.
However, Clark, unlike Jordan, does not have a royalty agreement with the shoes. She will get a set amount each year for the duration of the contract. Jordan, however, got paid per shoe and that’s made him one of the wealthiest men alive.
