Sonny Vaccaro says he believes Caitlin Clark could have gotten a much better deal with Nike – saying TMZ Sports he’s sure the former Iowa star could have signed a pact similar to the one Michael Jordan I came back that day.
The footwear industry legend, of course, knows all about the deal MJ received – he was the one who helped negotiate it. And when he learned that Clark received just $28 million over eight years to keep Phil Cavaleirois co., he was surprised it wasn’t more.
TMZSports. with
Vaccaro tells us that she could have gotten a contract that not only gave her more annual money — but also allowed her to receive a cut of every Clark-branded item sold… just like Jordan got with his initial Swoosh deal in 1984.
“She should have gotten a piece of everything,” the 84-year-old said, “just like Michael Jordan.”
Vaccaro believes there were plenty of people to blame – everyone from Clark’s representatives… to other shoe companies who dropped out of the race and allowed Nike to enter with what appeared to be a company-friendly contract.
“I’m telling you,” he said, “they messed up. They should have held on to the last drop.”
Clark, however, doesn’t seem too disappointed… After all, $28 million is a ton of coin – especially considering she’s only expected to make $76,000 from her WNBA contract this season.
And hey, she got her own exclusive Nike sneaker… and we’re sure she’s thrilled.