Nike unveil new Sponsorship signings

Nike signed 18-year old basketball phenom Lebron James to a seven-year, $90 million endorsement contract on Wednesday. The company followed the James win hours later by inking Santoso Praman, an 8-year old Indonesian boy, to a $9 per year contract to work at its sweatshop outside of Jakarta.

Bringing in both Lebron and Santoso to the Nike family on the same day is an enormous achievement for us, said Jack Salader, a Nike spokesman. It is only through the sacrifice of Santoso and thousands of others like him that we are able to afford a marquee talent like Lebron James.

James will likely play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who secured the rights to the No. 1 pick on Thursday. Praman will likely work 12-hour shifts in the Nike factorys boiler room, which is short of employees after a spate of recent on-the-job injuries.

Despite Nikes excitement over Pramans hiring, the boy will likely be the last sweatshop hire the company makes for several months.

We signed both Lebron and Carmelo Anthony to very expensive deals this week, Salader said, so we cant be putting any more money into labor costs at our manufacturing facilities.

Nike will cover the costs of its recent endorsement spends by freezing sweatshop wage increases, increasing work day hours to 12 and work weeks to seven days, and taking deductions out of workers paychecks for uniforms and other work supplies.

Im extremely happy to join Lebron James as a member of the Nike family, said Praman. It was either this or panhandling.


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