NBA History: 10 Biggest shoe deals signed by rookies

#2 Zion Williamson (2019) – Jordan Brand, 5 years/$75 million

Zion Williamson shows off his hops while wearing the recently unveiled Air Jordan XXXIV

While there are varying reports regarding Williamson's sneaker deal, with some claiming it's a four-year deal, and others a seven-year one, the Duke star still inked one of the most lucrative rookie shoe deals in NBA history.

The high-flyer will be making almost double the amount of his annual salary as an NBA player even before playing his first game, and it's impressive to know that he'd even left a ton of money off the table with this signing.

First, Zion signed the sneaker deal after the NBA lottery, which made it known to brands that he would be going to a small-market team in New Orleans. If he had signed way before the lottery, where the odds were in favor of the New York Knicks, he could have gotten a value much bigger than $75 million. Second, Zion had other offers from other brands that were much higher than what he had signed.

But at the end of the day, the kid and his team know what's best for him and what the potential of someone like him could be in terms of endorsements. He would be the fresh young face of his idol's brand, and he said that choosing to sign with Jordan Brand was a no-brainer.

Nothing like wearing something that you and your idol's brand will be collaborating on and be building further up.

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#1 LeBron James (2003) – Nike, 7 years/$87 million plus $10 million signing bonus

LeBron in his NBA debut, wearing Nike Air Zoom Generations, his first ever signature sneaker

Value in 2019: $135,031,907.61 or $19.3 million/year

There's really no surprise here. The high school kid from Akron, Ohio still holds the record for the largest ever rookie shoe deal in NBA history, cashing in almost $100 million before he was even drafted by the NBA.

LeBron has since been MVP four times, selected an All-Star since 2005, gone to nine Finals and winning three rings and three Finals MVPs, and received many more accolades that only a generational talent like him had gotten. He is still one of the best players in the league at 34 years old, and is currently in a big market in L.A.

With The King continuing to age like fine wine, Nike has reportedly given him a lifetime endorsement deal worth a billion dollars.