Odell Beckham Jr. Claims Nike 'Screwed' Him Out Of Millions, Files Lawsuit

Could Nike be shadier than we all assume?Free-agent wide receiver and NFL star Odell Beckham, Jr. is suing Nike for allegedly withholding tens of millions of dollars from his deal with the sports brand.

That was announced on Monday in a statement from OBJ and his attorney, Daniel Davillier.

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

(Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

As relayed by TMZ Sports, Beckham alleges that a five-year deal with Nike (signed in 2017) has withheld $20 million in potential earnings and that incentives in his contract were structured to purposefully keep him from earning his max figure.

He also claimed that the company was withholding OBJ-branded shoe releases and that Nike flagged him for wearing customizable gloves and cleats over their mandated on-field promotion for Nike items.

Per Beckham's account of his deal from 2017, Adidas emerged as a strong suitor to sign him -- offering $47 million guaranteed -- but was matched by Nike. Unfortunately, he alleges that deal stiffed him in the long run.

Beckham Fails To Catch the Fine Print in Nike Contract

Odell's statement on his lawsuit read:

Being a Nike Athlete and Brand Icon was a dream I’ve had since being a young boy. I wanted to be the next Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant in the Nike Family. When Nike exercised its right of first refusal to match the Adidas offer and not only kept me as a Nike Athlete, but also made me one of their Brand Icons — my dream had been fulfilled. Unfortunately, Nike did not honor its commitments. Throughout our partnership, I have kept my promise and fulfilled my obligations to the brand. I am extremely disappointed that I’ve had to take these measures to ensure Nike fulfills their obligations and promises. Today, 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. 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. I look forward to resolving this issue and hope we can start a real conversation about protecting athletes and their rights. This happens too often in the sports industry and it’s time for change. As this is now a legal matter, please refer any questions to my attorney, Daniel Davillier.

Thinking big picture, this move by Odell may also have to do with him hemorrhaging money as part of a $750,000 Bitcoin salary he accepted with the Los Angeles Rams last season, which amounted to a mere $35,000 by year's end.

OBJ remains a free agent as he awaits a full vote of confidence regarding his ACL tear from February. Recent reports indicated that the Dallas Cowboys, NewYork Giants, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are currently leading the lottery to sign the 30-year-old wide receiver.