| Not all professional athletes make a lot of money such | | | | businesses saw the total star power in Michael Jordan |
| as those that participate in less traditional non revenue | | | | and knew he could make their product be noticed with |
| producing sports. In order to be able to be a | | | | him promoting it. One example was Gatorade which |
| professional athlete full time, many of these less | | | | was a sports drink that had been around for quite a |
| popular athletes have to rely on the products and | | | | while but when they got Michael Jordan to endorse |
| paychecks they receive from their sponsors and | | | | Gatorade, sales rose quickly and it became the top |
| advertisers. Other athletes, that are in the limelight | | | | selling sports drink. |
| however, make a lot of money playing their sport and | | | | Now younger professional athletes that are making it |
| even more from their sponsorship deals. One of the | | | | to the big leagues see product endorsements as part |
| first athletes to really do this was NBA player, Michael | | | | of the package deal when they sign professionally. |
| Jordan who used his basketball skills to promote | | | | Many new athletes that are confident in themselves |
| several products as well as apparel, toys, products | | | | and their ability to sell items even hold out for multi |
| and even basketball videos with his name on them. | | | | million dollar contracts today. One example of that |
| Wherever there is space to promote a sponsor, they | | | | younger big time player is Le Bron James. He made it |
| will find a way to do it whether it is on the helmet of a | | | | into the headlines for his basketball abilities saying he |
| professional NASCAR racer or in the form of a body | | | | was the next Jordan when he was just a sophomore |
| tattoo to professional beach volleyball player Gabrielle | | | | in high school playing in Akron, Ohio. Now he is one the |
| Reece. Athletes are offered great package deals to | | | | biggest paid athletes with multiple endorsements. |
| promote a certain brand as a sort of spokesperson | | | | The largest grossing professional athlete to receive the |
| and in exchange they receive monetary and product | | | | largest amount of endorsement deals in history is |
| compensation. For the lesser known athletes, this is | | | | golfer, Tiger Woods. As an individual athlete, he is not |
| very helpful to provide them with the extra income | | | | paid by salary but rather by performance and how |
| they need to be able to train full time. For other well | | | | many big golf tournaments he wins. Because he has |
| paid athletes like professional baseball, basketball and | | | | been such a high profile, successful and marketable |
| football players it is just icing on the cake. | | | | player, his endorsements deals are earning him several |
| Michael Jordan was one of the first professional | | | | million each year on top of his golf earnings. He also |
| athletes to really be endorsed by various sponsors | | | | has lost several of these sponsors with the recent |
| and he ended up making more from those | | | | scandals of his many infidelities. |
| endorsements than he did playing basketball. Certain | | | | |
