25 Sports Celebrities Who Redefined Athletic Endorsements

If you can get a big apparel endorsement from Nike, your salary will increase significantly. Shutterstock

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The “Greek Freak” of the NBA was born in Greece to parents who immigrated from Nigeria. He was spotted by NBA recruiters while playing for youth teams in Athens and entered the NBA draft in 2013. In the 2016-2017 season, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, he became the first basketball player in the NBA’s history to finish in the top 20 for statistics in all five areas of rebounds, total points, blocks, assists, and scores.

Shutterstock

The Greek Freak has an impressive array of endorsements that have added 28 million dollars to his salary. Those endorsements are for the sports brands Nike and 2K Sports, along with internet TV company Hulu. Nearly 60% of his salary comes from endorsements.