NBA Insider Brian Windhorst has revealed that LeBron James had a major clause in his first Nike deal that would have helped him make more money if he had been drafted by the New York Knicks.

The four-time NBA champion ended up going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his career has been brilliant even without him ending up in New York.

Recently, James had revealed that he had the desire to join the Knicks, but instead signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as he felt that him joining the reigning champions would lead to a lot of criticism.

Windhorst, who has followed the player’s career, spoke about how many were hoping the 41-year-old would somehow have ended up being a Knicks player in 2003.

Brian Windhorst reveals people wanted LeBron James to go to New York

After ending the 1990s on a high note with a trip to the NBA Finals in the 1998-99 season and the Conference Finals a season after, the New York Knicks started their era of disappointment in the early 2000s.

They lacked a star presence, which is why when a player like James came along, it was certain that having him on the roster would make fans happy. However, Brian Windhorst revealed that the interest was even from James.

“There was this dream, and in fact, it was kind of LeBron‘s dream too. Literally, the night before he agreed to his Nike contract, in his Nike contract he got a 20 or 30% bonus if he got drafted to the Knicks. They agreed to that the night before the Lottery. That’s why it was so important to get it done before the lottery,” said Windhorst on the Hoops Collective podcast.

Nike’s decision to grant him extra money for playing in New York simply comes from the fact that it is one of the biggest markets in sports. Having a star like James play in the city would definitely be great, as it would not just help Nike’s marketing; it would also bring more eyes to the team.

The Knicks ended with the ninth pick in the draft, using which they drafted Michael Sweetney. He played only two seasons with the team before they traded him to the Chicago Bulls. James, on the other hand, ended up having a legendary career, during which he won four NBA championships and a majority of the other accolades.

James signed two more deals with Nike, the latest being a lifetime deal in 2015. While there is no clarity on the bonuses that are attached to joining new teams, James is already making $30 to $40 million from the deal in salary and royalties.