Dwayne Wade is often considered one of the best players to ever play in the NBA, and all you have to do is look at his 16-season basketball career to understand why. He's a 13-time NBA All-Star and made the All-NBA team eight times, plus he set numerous records during his time with the Miami Heat. He also played on Team USA during the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and helped lead the team to win gold and bronze medals. Time magazine has listed him as one of its most influential people, and People magazine has named him as one of its "50 Most Beautiful People."
Up until 2012, Wade was endorsed by Converse and Nike's Jordan Brand when it came to shoes, but that year, he made a change that paid off. He took an offer from the Chinese athletic brand Li-Ning, which was created by Chinese gymnast Li-Ning. While the exact details of the deal were never fully disclosed, the 10-year contract is said to be worth over $100 million, and it gave Wade some equity in the company as well. Today, you can still buy shoes from the Way of Wade line of shoes created by Li-Ning in partnership with Wade.
Phil Mickelson will easily go down in history as one of the greatest golfers of all time. Since beginning his professional career in 1992, he's won 45 PGA Tour events, six major championships, three Masters titles, the 2013 Open Championship, and two PGA Championships in 2005 and 2021. On top of that, he spent over 700 weeks ranked in the top 10 by Official World Golf, reaching as high as number two. He's also the oldest person to ever win a major championship.
In 2004, Mickelson partnered with Callaway Golf for a deal that reportedly earned him $42 million every year for the next two decades. However, in early 2024, Mickelson and the company unexpectedly parted ways. He posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I am no longer sponsored by Callaway Golf but have maintained a great relationship with everyone there." No one knows exactly why the two parted ways, but the news has shocked the golf world.
Speaking of famous golfers, there are arguably none as popular as Tiger Woods. He turned pro and took the golf world by storm in 1996 at the age of 21, and he's been making headlines ever since. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, he's won 82 PGA Tour events, 41 European Tour events, and countless others. He's also won five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, and three U.S. Opens. From August 1999 to September 2004, he was the top-ranked golfer in the world.
That fact is one likely reason why, in 2007, Gatorade and Woods inked a deal for a reported $100 million. The details were never made public, but what we do know is that the beverage company created its very own drink based on the golfer called "Gatorade Tiger." Available in three flavors, Gatorade Tiger set itself apart from traditional Gatorade drinks because it reportedly had 25% more electrolytes in it. While the deal was supposed to last for five years, Gatorade cut ties in 2009 due to weak drink sales and, possibly, due to Woods's trouble in his personal life.
Woods may be the most recognizable name in golf, but David Beckham is arguably one of the most recognized names in soccer, thanks to skills on the field as a midfielder and his many endorsements off the field as well. Additionally, his marriage to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham probably has a little something to do with it too. The two are quite the power couple with numerous business ventures and endorsements under their belts.
Beckham has worn Adidas shoes since he started his soccer career in 1992 with Manchester United, and, as you might imagine, that ended up being a lucrative deal for both him and the company. In 2003, when Beckham played for Real Madrid, an Adidas spokesman is quoted as saying, "Put Beckham's name on any product and Real Madrid didn't stop selling."
That same year, the soccer star signed a $160 million contract with the brand. On top of receiving most of the money upfront, he also earns a percentage of any products sold with his name on them. He filmed a commercial for the company that is often considered one of the greatest British commercials ever made.
Adidas doesn't just work with soccer stars. The athletic brand also has deals with several NBA stars, including Memphis Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose. Rose spent most of his career in Chicago after being drafted by the Bulls in 2008. In 2009, he was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year and, in 2011, he became the youngest player in league history to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He's also a three-time NBA All-Star.
In 2008, Adidas signed a $1 million per year deal with Rose and it was successful. In 2012, the company signed a new contract with the basketball star that would earn him $185 million over the next 14 years. Rose also has endorsement deals with numerous other companies, including Powerade, Nissan, Skullcandy Headphones, Force Factor, and Wilson Sporting Goods.
It should be noted that Rose's Adidas contract isn't the biggest one the athletic brand has with an NBA star. In 2015, the company signed a deal with Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden reportedly worth $200 million for 13 years. This came on top of endorsements with brands like Trolli, Mountain Dew, State Farm, and KFC. Harden has also invested in real estate in multiple cities, and he's part-owner of the Houston Dynamo of the Major League Soccer.
Harden played college basketball at Arizona State where he was an All-American and the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2009 before the Oklahoma Thunder drafted him as the third overall pick in the NBA draft that same year. The 10-time NBA All-Star has gone on to play for the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and his current team, the Clippers.
Steph Curry is another NBA star who is often considered one of the best of all time, and many say he's the greatest shooter ever to play the game. Like Harden, he was a first-round draft pick in 2009, and he's spent his entire pro basketball career with the Golden State Warriors. Curry has set numerous records on the court and has won several awards. He's also a nine-time NBA All-Star, he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award twice, and he's led his team to four NBA championship wins.
While many NBA stars have deals with brands like Nike or Adidas, Curry is often called the "face of Under Armour." Although he started with Nike, he switched to Under Armour in 2013 and hasn't looked back. Through his partnership with the company, he has his own line of shoes and clothing that have become bestsellers over the years. His current contract with them is worth a reported $215 million.
Rory McIlroy is an Irish golf prodigy who is one of three golfers to win four majors before reaching age 26. (The other two are Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.) For over 100 weeks, he's been named the top golfer in the world by One World Golf since going pro in 2007. So far, he's won 24 PGA tour events, 17 European tour events, and two PGA Championships.
Mcllroy has had a relationship with Nike for well over a decade. In 2013, he signed what was reportedly a $250 million contract with the athletic brand but, in 2016, Nike stopped making golf equipment and let any golfers they had signed go from their contracts. However, they weren't ready to give up on McIIroy. In 2017, they re-signed him for a 10-year $200 million deal for him to endorse Nike apparel. The golf star also has a $100 million endorsement deal with TaylorMade.
When you spend 310 weeks ranked number one in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, it's safe to say you're probably one of the best professional tennis pros to ever play the game. That's exactly why Swiss tennis star Roger Federer is on the list. Throughout his career, he's earned $130,594,339 in prize money and he's won 20 Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open six times, the French Open once, Wimbledon eight times, and the U.S. Open five times. He's also won gold and silver medals in the Olympics.
Federer started as a Nike brand ambassador making $10 million per year, but his contract expired in 2018, and instead of renewing it, he signed with Japanese clothing company Uniqlo. The 10-year deal saw him earning $30 million annually for a total of $300 million. Federer also has a deal with the European athletic shoe brand On as well as contracts throughout his career with Rolex, Lindt, Mercedes-Benz, and Gillette, among other companies.
In 2007, Kevin Durant was a first-round pick in the NBA draft, and today, he remains one of the most popular and best players in the game. A 14-time NBA All-Star, he's played with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and, currently, the Phoenix Suns. Durant was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2008 and he has since gone on to play on two NBA Championship-winning teams. He's also led Team USA to win three gold medals in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympic Games and is the men's all-time scoring leader for Team USA.
Durant is also one of the wealthiest basketball players, in part, thanks to his $300 million endorsement deal with Nike. In addition to his Nike deal, he has had contracts with brands like Foot Locker, Panini, General Electric, 2K Sports, Sprint, Gatorade, and others. Despite his success with these companies, Durant claims he has no interest in brands and marketing.
Forbes magazine has ranked Lionel Messi as the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2019 and 2022, and he has spent several years ranked as the highest-paid soccer player. The Argentinian superstar has also spent several years on Time magazine's most influential people list. FIFA has named him the best soccer player in the world eight times, and he's won eight Ballon d'Or awards.
With all of that in mind, it's easy to see why Adidas decided to invest so much money in Messi. He's been with the company since 2006, and since then, it's been his top sponsor. He has his own signature line with the brand. While the exact details of his contract are unknown, it's reported that he's signed with the company for the rest of his life and will earn $27 million per year. No wonder SportsPro has named him one of the most marketable athletes in the world every year since 2010.
If you think Woods's deal with Gatorade was huge, wait until you hear about his deal with Nike. He'd been with the brand since 1996, although in early 2024 the company announced that it was parting ways with the man who some people call the greatest of all time of golf.
During their relationship, Woods reportedly earned $660 million through his various contracts. That includes a $105 million, five-year contract in 2000 that, at the time, was the biggest endorsement deal signed by any athlete ever.
Speaking of GOATs, there's often a great debate over whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the GOAT of the NBA. You can make your own decision but Nike has rewarded each man nicely with unheard-of endorsement deals. But we'll get to Jordan in a minute.
James is a 20-time NBA All-Star who has led his teams to four NBA Championship wins. The outspoken superstar has set numerous records and is one of the most recognizable names in basketball. When he first entered the NBA, Nike, Reebok, and Adidas went into a bidding war, hoping to sign him, but Nike won with an initial $90 million contract. As of 2024, he's been with the company for 21 years. During that time, he reportedly earned a billion dollars from the athletic brand.
But Nike doesn't just work with golfers and NBA stars. They've also invested over a billion dollars into soccer great Christiano Ronaldo. The forward from Portugal has won 33 professional trophies and countless awards throughout his career and, like Messi, is considered one of the most marketable athletes in the world. Forbes ranked him as the highest-paid athlete in the world several times, including in 2023, and he's only the third athlete to reach the billion-dollar earning mark.
Much of his earnings have come from a lifetime billion-dollar contract with Nike that he signed back in 2016. According to Investopedia, in 2019, Ronaldo's social media reach was over 262 million fans across all platforms, and it has undoubtedly grown since then. It's estimated that he generated $474 million in sales for Nike via social media alone in 2018.
Last but not least is one of the greatest athletes of all time, former NBA superstar Michael Jordan. An icon in sports and pop culture, Jordan has one of the most recognizable faces in the world, but when you take a look at his career, it's easy to see why. He's a six-time NBA Champion, 14-time NBA All-Star, and five-time NBA MVP. That's just scratching the surface. He also helped lead Team USA to win two gold medals in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.
When it comes to marketing, Jordan is considered the most successful athlete of all time as well. Since 1984, his Nike Air Jordan shoes have been one of the most popular brands of sneakers on the market. Jordan was also the first NBA player to become a billionaire and that includes over $1.5 billion in earnings from Nike. According to Inc., in 2022, Jordan's brand earned $5 billion for Nike, which posted a total of $46 billion in earnings that year.
