Derrick Rose is only 23 years old.
He hasn’t even hit his prime yet, but he if he isn’t in the discussion as the best player in the NBA he will be there soon. He has a different type of personality that the Lebrons and Kobes of the world which makes him a different type of Superstar.
Part of being a Superstar is endorsements and while Rose doesn’t have the most electric personality he is moving product and adidas doesn’t want to lose him.
Los That Sports Blog has the details.
One industry source insisted to ESPN.com this week that Rose’s new shoe deal with adidas will easily crack nine figures and could legitimately approach the $250 million range — as in $25 million annually over a 10-year span — in what is known in the shoe game as a “lifetime” deal.
Rose, as it was explained to me, is adidas’ only counter to Kobe Bryant in China. I’m told Rose already outsells LeBron James there.
I call that the Iverson deal. Reebok gave Iverson one of those lifetime deals that I believe he is still eating off of.
Things are looking good for Rose in 2012.