Odell Beckham Jr. and Nike both claim victory in $20 million lawsuit against each other

Odell Beckham Jr. took to social media on Thursday to provide an update on his $20 million lawsuit against Nike.

“JUST DO……RIGHT @nike,” the Miami Dolphins wide receiver captioned a picture on Instagram of him posing alongside a team of attorneys. “I wanna take this moment to thank God first and foremost thank you Heavenly Father. I wanna thank my team for every hour they have spent preparing on this case. I wanna thank the jury for simply doing what’s right in a world full of wrong… my message to whoever needs this is, STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN! JUSTICE WAS SERVED!!!

But while Beckham’s post implied that he had won his lawsuit against the apparel and sneaker giant, the situation appears to be far more nuanced than that. Following the 31-year-old’s social media post, Nike reached out to Complex to provide a statement expressing its own satisfaction with the lawsuit’s outcome.

“With this verdict, all of Mr. Beckham’s claims have been decided against him without any monetary award,” Nike said. “The decision confirmed that Nike complied with its commitments. Nike is grateful to the jury and the Court for their careful attention to this case.”

How can both sides seemingly claim victory in their respective lawsuits against each other? Here’s what seems to have happened:

For the uninitiated, Beckham sued Nike in late-2022 alleging that the Portland-based company owed him more than $20 million from his endorsement deal. Nike, meanwhile, countersued, claiming that the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver violated his contract with the company by altering his Nike-branded footwear and gloves during the 2021 NFL season.

According to the Portland Business Journal, a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury in Oregon determined that Nike never breached its contract by withholding royalties from Beckham. The same jury, however, ruled that Beckham’s glove customizations did not breach his contract and that Nike had waived its right to enforce the contract for certain glove designs.

Ultimately, it appears that Beckham didn’t win his suit against Nike, but was successful in defending himself against the company’s counterclaims. As Darren Heitner noted on X, that likely means the only true winner in any of this were the lawyers who were involved, which often seems to be the case.

[Complex, Portland Business Journal]