A jury found neither party’s claim was sufficient to be awarded a judgment.
Odell Beckham Jr. sued Nike in 2022, alleging that the company withheld royalties due to him as dictated by the terms of their sponsorship agreement, and the company responded with a countersuit, claiming the wide receiver violated the terms of their agreement by making customizations to his Nike branded gloves that were outside of the bounds of their agreement and violated the contract by disclosing the terms of his deal publicly.
According to The Portland Business Journal, Beckham was seeking $862,000 in damages, the total he claimed Nike withheld from him in royalty payments, and in Nike’s countersuit, they sought between $7 and $15 million in damages. However, a jury in Oregon’s Multnomah County Circuit Court found neither party’s claim was sufficient to be awarded a judgment. That resolution, however, led both parties to declare a victory of sorts.
The lawsuit stems from a 2017 deal worth as much as $47 million from Adidas for Beckham to switch apparel endorsement companies, but Nike retained the right to refuse to let Beckham leave. Eventually, Beckham did agree to a new five-year deal with Nike. In the closing arguments, Beckham’s counsel, Chad Colton, argued that Nike’s contention over Beckham’s customization of his gloves didn’t arise until it was time for the star to resign from the company.
On Instagram, Beckham posted a picture of himself smiling with his legal team, with the caption “JUST DO RIGHT Nike. I wanna take this time to thank God first and foremost thank you Heavenly Father. I wanna thank my team for every hour they have spent preparing on this case. I wanna thank the jury for simply doing what’s right in a world full of wrong…my message to whoever needs this is, STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN! JUSTICE WAS SERVED!!!”.
Nike, meanwhile, issued a statement to Complex through a representative for the company, “With this verdict, all of Mr. Beckham’s claims have been decided against him without any monetary award. The decision confirmed that Nike complied with its commitments. Nike is grateful to the jury and the Court for their careful attention to this case.”
Although both parties struck a celebratory tone in their statements, the legal reality is that they essentially fought to a draw, and both sides can now appeal the jury verdict if they wish. Ahead of his initial suit in 2022, Complex reported that Beckham felt his responsibility was to stand up for other athletes.
“I’m taking a stand not just for me, but to set a precedent for all athletes who have dedicated their life to the sport they love—especially those who don’t have the means to stand up for themselves.” Beckham said. “We are held responsible for fulfilling our obligations under our contracts, but we also have to hold powerful companies like Nike accountable for honoring their commitments, too.”
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