Getty Image / Mike Ehrmann / Staff
In the 2010-2011 NBA season, Derrick Rose was an absolute monster. Rose played in 81 games, averaged 25 points per game, dished out 7.7 assists per game, and a steal a game. It was only Rose’s third year in the Association, yet he carried the Chicago Bulls to a 62-20 record and took them to the Eastern Conference Finals where he averaged 27.1 PPG in the playoffs. Rose won the Rookie of the Year in the 2008-2009 season and at 22-years-old he took home the hardware for the NBA MVP in the 2010-2011 season, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award. Rose’s future looked spectacular and he was poised to be an all-time NBA great. Adidas saw the massive potential of signing the seemingly unstoppable star to a gigantic endorsement deal. Then the injuries happened. And kept happening.
In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Rose tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose missed the rest of the playoffs as well as the entire 2012-2013 season. On November 22, 2013, Rose tore his right knee meniscus during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers and subsequently missed the rest of the 2013-2014 season. On February 24, 2015, Rose had a medial meniscus tear of the right knee. Rose missed 20 games. Rose has never played more than 66 games since 2011 and lost his unbelievable explosiveness. Despite now being a role player, Adidas is still paying Rose like he is one of the superstars of the NBA.
In 2012, Adidas signed Rose to a 14-year endorsement deal worth $185 million, which is one of the most lucrative endorsement deals in sports history. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of Rose’s 40-page contract with Adidas and some of the details are unbelievable. Adidas was savvy enough to include language in the contract to cut Rose’s pay for not making the All-Star team and missing games, but Rose can make additional money through promotional activities.
For the 2017-2018 season, Rose will make $11 million from the sneaker company and could get paid up to $6.25 million in royalties and $4.8 million in appearance fees. Plus he has access to a private plane. Let me remind you that Derrick Rose is a shell of his former MVP-caliber self and is currently the backup point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers where he makes $2.1 million from his NBA salary. To put that $11 million in perspective, the 29-year-old Rose will make more from Adidas than John Wall, who will make an annual base salary of $4 million from the sneaker company.
But it isn’t just Rose who is making coin off of Adidas, his friends and family are also getting paid. Rose’s brother Reggie makes up to $300,000 and his best friend Randall Hampton makes up to $75,000, both as consultants to Adidas. Rose has set himself up well for the future. Meanwhile, Adidas learned a tough lesson on investing too much money over way too many years over a relatively unproven sports star. Adidas will still be paying Rose handsomely until 2026.