As adidas prepares to debut its first collection with James Harden, one sports writer is condemning the brand's decision to sign Derrick Rose to record-setting $185 million endorsement deal in 2012.
Dan Bernstein of CBS Chicago suggests that adidas may have put too much stock in Rose from the jump, and that the deal has amounted to nothing short of a flop. Following Rose's ACL injury in 2012, "adidas threw itself into staging a series of cinematic television spots touting 'The Return,' it then never materialize," Bernstein writes. As we know, the injury woes persisted from there, causing Rose to miss a chunk of both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
While Rose's downtime has been bad enough for his personal brand, it's been a disaster for adidas. In 2014, Nike's top players — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant — brought in a whopping $640 million combined as LeBron lead the pack with $340 million in sales. In comparison, Rose accumulated a scant $32 million last year, which was 20 percent lower than his 2013 sales.
Bernstein also points to Rose's recent off-court issues, including a highly publicized rape investigation, as reasons that adidas should reconsider its landmark deal with the Chicago Bulls star. Is it too little, too late, or does adidas have a chance to turn this around? The 2015-2016 season will be a telltale sign.
