LeBron James a goldmine for Nike if Heat wins it all

LeBron James is already generating millions of dollars for Nike Inc. and as his stature grows, so does the money for the sports endorser.

According to a former marketing director for Nike, Terry Rhoads, the 26-year old LeBron James will add as much as $4 billion in revenue from China alone if he finally wins an NBA championship with his new team the Miami Heat.

"LeBron is white-hot with the Chinese basketball-loving youth, but his popularity and influence outside of that circle is limited," Rhoads told Bloomberg, who now heads Zou Marketing. "One reason is the lack of titles."

That may not be a problem for much longer. The Heat are heavy title favorites this season and only three wins away from an NBA Finals berth. Then it will just be four more wins until LeBron James adds "NBA champion" to his resume which includes two Most Valuable Player awards and an Olympic gold medal.

James needs to win multiple titles in order to transcend his sport just like what Michael Jordan did when he won six titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. If he is able to pull it off, then his endorsements, including that of Nike, will even be gargantuan than what it is now.

Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and a handful of other companies are currently paying LeBron James approximately $30 million annually to promote their products and services.

James appears to be nonchalant about the prospects of earning even more money when asked about it recently.

"It would do everything for me, as far as an individual standpoint," LeBron James said of his championship goal. "I don't care what it does marketing-wise. My marketing statement was in place for me as a professional."