LeBron James' jaw-dropping Nike deal

Maverick Carter has dished out some details on Lebron's lifetime contract with Nike. Photo / Getty

LeBron James signed a lifetime deal with Nike last December, the first of its kind, and the largest single-athlete guarantee in Nike's history.

So just how much is it worth?

In a recent interview with GQ's Mark Anthony Green, James' longtime business partner and childhood friend spoke out about the negotiation process with Nike.

"You have to go into the room understanding a couple things. You have to know what you want. You have to know how to clearly articulate those things. You have to know what's important to the other side and what they want. Be able to articulate those things, too."

GQ pressed Carter to disclose the value of the deal, but Carter never specified an exact dollar amount.

However when the interviewer asked whether Kanye West's comment that the deal was worth $1 billion was accurate, Carter just smiled and pointed upward.

"Yeah. It's a fantastic deal. Nike feels great about the deal. That's the most important thing. As great as I feel, as great as LeBron feels-Nike feels fantastic about it. It's the largest deal in the history of the company. Their hope is he makes even more. And our hope is that, too, obviously."