5 most iconic athletes of the last 15 years

[Ohene]

good list
@BrothaZay

i'd only remove Iverson for Lebron

 

[bdkane]

Serena(if she ain't on your list, you trippin)
LeBron
Mayweather

Bolt
Tiger

 

[Montez]

Bolt
Ronaldo
Serena
Lebron
Tiger

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Lebron being iconic

iconic for what? losing and running away from challenges?

OP's list is spot on

Iverson = had white kids wearing braids and had nikkas wearing reeboks .
Kobe = most polarized athlete the past 15 years. ask the olympics squads what happened in beijing in 2008. they were refusing to even eat lunch with bean cause he was getting mobbed like prime michael jackson. also hit rock bottom in 2003 and climbed his way back to the top.

Tiger = obvious reasons. look at the bread he made

Floyd = see above. probably the most hated athlete and beloved athlete at the same time. cacs spending their hard earned money hoping to see him lose

Ronaldo = are we talking about brazil ronaldo or portugese @BrothaZay ?

you can make a case for either one.

This dude Lebron is more popular/global/iconic/bankable etc..than Kobe has ever been. Lebron is on levels not seen since prime Jordan.

 

[CantStop]

This dude Lebron is more popular/global/iconic/bankable etc..than Kobe has ever been. Lebron is on levels not seen since prime Jordan.

troll better.

Lebron is just another tall black man in China...

Kobe in china is =

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Floyd and Iverson aren't even in the same zip code as Peyton and Brady as far as that list goes. Favre was up there too but he hasn't been around much since he retired. And Lebron has or will pass Kobe.

There really are a lot of people who don't really know who Floyd Mayweather is. Boxing and UFC are way down there. People who don't follow sports know Tiger, Lebron, Peyton and Brady.

Mayweather is kind of like Jeff Gordon or Dale E JR are....they are well known in a certain context, but not overall.
Can't bring soccer into the US convo...world sure.

NFL players aren't really global icons. They're only really known in the USA.

 

[Black]

nikkas acting like Iverson isn't iconic is comedy every nikka in the hood wanted to be him.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

troll better.

Lebron is just another tall black man in China...

Kobe in china is =

think again

 

[CantStop]

think again

you don't want to do this breh. Kobe is having his own statue in China.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

you don't want to do this breh. Kobe is having his own statue in China.

you'll lose bro







LeBron James Tops World's Most Powerful Athletes 2014

Four years ago, LeBron James shifted the balance of power in the NBA and set off a huge wave of interest in the league with his infamous decision to “take his talents to South Beach.” James once again holds the future of the league in his hands as a free agent with his plans to opt of the last two years of his current Miami Heat contract. James’ power across the sporting landscape is unquestioned. No individual athlete in major team sports has wielded such influence since Michael Jordan roamed the courts more than a decade ago. James’ influence lands him as the top athlete on Forbes’ Celebrity 100. The only celebrity across all categories to finish in front of King James on Forbes’ annual tally is musician Beyonce.
We estimate James earned $72 million over the past year. His Heat salary was $19.3 million this past season and we figure his off-court earnings from endorsements and the sale of Beats Electronics generated $53 million in income. James’ significant endorsements earnings give him the ability to accept a lower salary from an NBA team in exchange for surrounding himself with the best possible team under the NBA salary cap rules with a chance to win a third NBA title.
Apple AAPL +1.44% announced in May that it would purchase Beats in a cash and stock deal worth $3 billion. Published reports put James take from the sale at more than $30 million, but our sources say the final number was much lower (James camp would not comment on his stake). James partnered with the high-end headphones maker in 2008 when he outfitted his teammates with Beats by Dre at the Beijing Summer Olympics. Pictures of the U.S. team wearing the headphones were splashed across the globe. The move helped make the headphones a must-have accessory and James has been collecting royalty checks ever since before cashing in big this year with the sale.
James is the NBA’s top pitchman with endorsement deals with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola , Upper Deck and Tencent. His biggest partner is Nike, which originally signed James out of high school in 2003 to a seven-year, $90 million contract. James re-signed with the Swoosh in 2010 in a deal that pays upwards of $20 million a year, including royalties. Sales of James’ signature Nike shoes were tops among active players at $300 million in the U.S. during 2013, according to research firm SportsOneSource. His jersey was also the NBA’s best-seller.
Forbes’ Celebrity list ranks the top stars from the worlds of music, movies, sports, TV, books and modelling based on a mix of money and fame. The fame quotient is based on mentions in the media, social media prowess and overall impact. Our athlete earnings estimates include salaries, bonuses, prize money and appearance fees, as well as licensing and endorsement income paid out during the 12 months between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014. We do not deduct for taxes or agents’ fees. We also do not include investment income unless it is a stake in a company tied to a sponsorship like James’ small equity stake in Beats.
Floyd Mayweather ranks second among athletes and No.7 overall on the Celebrity 100. The boxing universe revolves around Mayweather and that was never more apparent than last year. He earned $105 million over the past 12 months thanks to a pair of fights against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Marcos Maidana. He is only the second athlete to ever bank $100 million in a year after Tiger Woods, who turned the trick on multiple occasions. The only celebrities on our list that earned more than Mayweather over the past year were Beyonce and Dr. Dre. Mayweather’s fight against Alvarez in September set records for highest pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate ($20 million) and total revenue (roughly $200 million). The Canelo fight marked the second bout in the 30-month, six-fight deal Mayweather signed with Showtime last year. Mayweather is next scheduled to fight in September in the fourth bout under his lucrative pact with Showtime.
Rounding out the top five is a trio of athletes who have each been at the top of their respective sport for more than a decade. Kobe Bryant ranks No. 15 overall on the Celeb 100 and is followed by Roger Federer (No. 16) and Woods (No. 21). Each of these stars banked at least $55 million from prize money, salary and endorsements.
A total of 16 athletes made the cut for the Celebrity 100. They hail from eight different countries and play six sports. Three female athletes appear on the list led by Maria Sharapova (No. 66) who is joined by fellow tennis stars Serena Williams (No. 70) and Li Na (No. 85). The threesome collectively earned $70 million over the past year.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothy...e-knowles-tops-the-forbes-celebrity-100-list/


LeBron James is the Most Popular Western Celebrity on Chinese Social Media

nfographic: LeBron James is the Most Popular Western Celebrity on Chinese Social Media

Synthesio, a global social-media monitoring company, has created an infographic to tell us who are the top 25 most popular western celebrities on Chinese social media. It listened to the top 50 celebrities from Forbes’ “The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities” list, and monitored China’s top social-media sites, including Sina Weibo (China’s Twitter), Renren (China’s Facebook) and Tencent Weibo. As the infographic reveals, Chinese social-media users love NBA, basketball player LeBron James takes the top spot, followed by Rihanna and Justin Bieber, respectively. Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift round out the top five.

http://micgadget.com/34233/infograp...ar-western-celebrity-on-chinese-social-media/




LeBron James Is The NBA's Leading Shoe Salesman

LeBron James is in the hunt for a second straight NBA championship after leading the Miami Heat to an NBA-best 66 wins during the regular season. It has been a wildly successful 12-month run for King James, as he established himself as the NBA’s biggest star since Michael Jordan. James led the Heat on a 27-game winning streak. He added another NBA MVP trophy (for a total of four), an Olympic gold medal and his first title over the past year. The game’s most dominant player is also crushing the competition in stores, outselling his nearest rival’s signature sneakers 6-to-1.

Nike generated $300 million in U.S. retail sales in 2012 for James’ signature shoes, according to research firm SportsOneSource. Nike’s haul represents a 50% increase from sales of James’ kicks in 2011. “The first thing is the aesthetics. The shoes look great and his star stature continues to rise,” says SportsOneSource analyst Matt Powell. “The media attention on him helps him sell more footwear.”

The second best-selling active NBA pitchman is Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. His Kobe 8 signature shoes sold $50 million at U.S. stores last year. Bryant has been part of the Nike family since 2003. The 15-time All-Star was an Adidas athlete for the first six years of his career. Bryant’s shoe sales in the U.S. were down in 2012, but he is the NBA’s biggest star in China and his Nike sneakers sell briskly in Asia.

U.S. Retail Basketball Shoe Sales

LeBron James (Nike): $300 million

Kobe Bryant (Nike): $50 million

Carmelo Anthony (Jordan): $40 million

Kevin Durant (Nike): $35 million

Derrick Rose (Adidas): $25 million

John Wall (Reebok): $5 million

Dwight Howard (Adidas): $5 million

LeBron James' market share

Even before this second NBA championship, LeBron's marketing strategists had completely redefined the dynamic between a sponsor and celebrity endorser, at least in the realm of the iconic athlete. The topic comes up not only because LeBron's second title leads us to look at his immediate future, on and off the court, but also because the perception in some quarters is that he had a relatively low commercial profile on television during the playoffs.

In this day and age, the bottom line means strengthening the brand, which may trump any other measurement in popular culture. And not many brands are as high profile as LeBron's these days, even though he still has his critics. With Forbes reporting LeBron's endorsement income at $42 million last year, he trails only Tiger Woods, Roger Federer ($65 million each) and Phil Mickelson ($44 million) in that category. But Forbes also reports that his second NBA title will probably mean a $5 million to $7 million increase in endorsement income in 2013 (and that estimate could be conservative given that NBA 2K14 is going to be LeBron's first video game cover). You wonder how much Peyton Manning's endorsement portfolio is worth? It was estimated by Forbes to be $12 million last year. Drew Brees: $11 million. Aaron Rodgers: $6 million. Usain Bolt: $24 million.

Yet, there's no risk in terms of the strategy. Forbes reports that LeBron is the highest-ranked athlete in the world and 23rd overall in terms of his "web rank," meaning he's ahead of Tiger, David Beckham, Kobe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and, for that matter, Tom Cruise and Reese Witherspoon. Forbes ranks LeBron 15th in celebrity power, behind people like Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, but ahead of every athlete except Tiger.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9420455/lebron-james-market-share




LeBron Taking Sports Marketing To Another Level

“Sports Illustrated just ranked him the world's most influential active athlete. And he's not just a pitchman, he's a businessman --with ownership stakes in the Liverpool soccer club, PureBrands, Cannondale bikes, and more. After last summer's Olympic Gold in London, James has been busy building his global brand, especially in the booming Asian market, signing deals to pitch Dunkin' Donuts and the NBA2K14 video game in China.”

And he’s only 28. “The LeBron brand is global, his celebrity transcends his sport, and his appeal crosses all demographics,” Dorfman concludes -- except perhaps Cleveland, to which he bid an overwrought farewell a couple of years ago.

http://www.mediapost.com/publicatio...taking-sports-marketing-to-another-level.html


2012-2013 Most popular jersey globally

LeBron rules NBA in endorsements too

James may gain additional $5 million to $7 million to the $42 million he already earns from sponsorships; Heat star gradually regaining favor with sports fans while endorsements soar to No. 4 among all athletes


A second consecutive NBA championship and Finals MVP should bring a tangible payoff to LeBron James.

A prominent sports marketing expert expects the Heat star to cash in an additional $5 million to $7 million in annual commercial endorsements.

Considering James already leads all NBA players with $42 million a year in off-court earnings, such an increase doesn't carry the life-altering impact that it would for an up-and-coming player.

While forecasting new endorsement opportunities for James, Bob Dorfman, author of "The Sports Marketers' Scouting Report," suggested the benefits of the second title may be more intangible as America gradually warms to him.

"I think this one helped a lot. The first one, maybe people thought it was a bit of a fluke. This one maybe legitimizes him a little more, certainly builds his legacy," Dorfman said. "You can't deny he's the greatest player in the game right now."

Despite nationwide animosity directed at James following his awkward exit from Cleveland and the criticism of his play in losing the 2011 Finals to Dallas, he has remained a powerful commercial presence.

The subsequent back-to-back championships, regular-season and Finals MVP trophies and 2012 Olympic gold medal did much to ensure that.

James was recently ranked No. 4 in endorsements among all athletes by Forbes Magazine, tied with universally admired David Beckham. They trail Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, each with $65 million a year in endorsements, and Phil Mickelson with $44 million.

Kobe Bryant ranks second in endorsements among NBA players with $34 million. The Heat's Dwyane Wade is fifth at $11.5 million a year.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._1_lebron-james-endorsements-q-scores-company



LeBron James ranked as most powerful U.S. pro athlete

The most powerful athlete in U.S. professional sports? The would be LeBron James, and for more than his powerful build.

The 2013 Bloomberg "Sportfolio" Power 100 has the Heat forward at the top of the class, after being ranked fourth in the previous ratings.

According to the Bloomberg Sports website, the rankings were compiled with 50 percent of the ranking based on "on-field attributes" and 50 percent on "off-field attributes."

The list was limited to "professional athletes playing in the United States," with coaches, executives, owners, agents, and retired athletes not considered.

The Top 10:

LeBron James
Tiger Woods
Peyton Manning
Drew Brees
Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic
Kobe Bryant
Michael Phelps
Tom Brady
Aaron Rodgers

Beyond James and Bryant, the next highest-ranking NBA players on the list were Kevin Durant (11th) and Heat guard Dwyane Wade (25th).

Heat center Chris Bosh, the third member of the team's Big Three, was not on the list, nor were any members of the Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins or Florida Panthers.

From the story on the list:

"With a first NBA title under his belt and in the hunt for a second, the sky is the limit for James. He's in the midst of arguably the best season of his basketball career, and is backed by a blue-chip endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Samsung, and State Farm. All this basketball and business bounty came after James' Nielsen/E-Poll N-Score, a measure of marketability used for this study, reached the lowest point in his career following the Heat's loss to the Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals.
"James can also claim another distinction from his Top Five Power 100 peers: he's the only one in that grouping who’s younger than 30."

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...1_lebron-james-athlete-heat-guard-dwyane-wade

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[IllmaticDelta]

What I Learned From A Year Of Watching SportsCenter

Which names is SportsCenter writing over and over again in its Trapper Keeper?

As Sanchez's inexplicable prominence suggests, the great SportsCenter engine runs not just on money and major sports to which ESPN happens to hold broadcast rights, but also on celebrity. Watch the show at the right time of year, and you might come away thinking that there are only a half-dozen or so athletes in the entire world.

To put in perspective just how fixed SportsCenter gets on the anointed, consider that Tim Tebow got 17 percent more mentions than successful professional quarterbacks Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers put together. Then consider that he wasn't, unbelievably enough, even one of SportsCenter's five most fussed-over athletes.

As you can see, if you want the all-powerful SportsCenter to aid your personal #branding campaign, it helps to either play basketball or line up under center. Of the 20 most-mentioned athletes, in fact, 11 play in the NBA and seven were quarterbacks (assuming Tebow counts as one). Golf and baseball each claimed one spot. No one else, from Serena Williams to Lionel Messi, rated at all.



CUMULATIVE STATISTICS (2012)


Total time: 23,052.75 minutes
Time (minus commercials): 17,361.25
NFL: 4,046.25 (23.3%)
NBA: 3,330.5 minutes (19.2%)
MLB: 2,916.5 (16.8%)
SportsCenter staples**: 2,289 (13.2%)
College football: 1,329.75 (7.7%)
College basketball: 1,181.25 (6.8%)
Golf: 580.75 (3.3%)
NHL: 459.5 (2.7%)
NASCAR: 362.25 (2.1%)
Other***: 315 (1.8%)
Soccer: 217.75 (1.3%)
Olympics: 166.5 (.9%)
Tennis: 166.25 (.9%)

MOST-COVERED TEAMS BY SPORT (2012)

Miami Heat (NBA): 962.75 minutes (5.5%)
New York Yankees (MLB): 410.25 (2.4%)
New York Giants (NFL): 362.75 (2.1%)
Alabama Crimson Tide (college football): 208.75 (1.2%)
Kentucky Wildcats (college basketball): 155.25 (0.9%)
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL): 56.5 (0.3%)

MOST-MENTIONED SPORTS FIGURES (2012)


1) LeBron James: 1,930 mentions
2) Kobe Bryant: 1,345
3) Peyton Manning: 1,218
4) Dwyane Wade: 1,167
5) Kevin Durant: 1,109
6) Tiger Woods: 1,011
7) Tim Tebow: 976
8) Tom Brady: 894
9) Jeremy Lin: 871
10) Derrick Rose: 830
11) Carmelo Anthony: 804
12) Dwight Howard: 752
13) Eli Manning: 621
14) Russell Westbrook: 578
15) Rajon Rondo: 568
16) Robert Griffin III: 567
17) Josh Hamilton: 460
18) Blake Griffin: 457
19) Drew Brees: 433
20) Aaron Rodgers: 401

* This analysis had to exclude teams without unique names—e.g., the Jets, who play both hockey and football. I also left out the 2012 playoff champions and runners-up in any sport, because they attract tons of attention regardless of their regular-season performance.

** Includes things like the "Top 10," "Encore," "What 2 Watch 4," etc.

*** Sports included cycling, lacrosse, Little League baseball, college hockey, arena football, softball, extreme sports, drag racing, Formula One, and IndyCar.

Graphics by Reuben Fischer-Baum and David Roher.

http://deadspin.com/what-i-learned-from-a-year-of-watching-sportscenter-5979510

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Who is the Most Popular Athlete in your State?

Athletes rank right among the biggest musicians and movie stars when it comes to fame. Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest NBA player of all time, is one of the most recognizable figures on the face of the earth. With that in mind, which players are the most popular? Using Google search volume data from the last 12 months (April 2013 – April 2014), the chart above illustrates the most searched-for athletes in each of the 50 States.

LeBron James dominates the competition, showing up as the most searched athlete in 23/50 states. Next in line is Peyton Manning who claims seven states, then Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady who tie for 3rd with four states. Andrew Wiggins (two states) and Johnny Manziel (one state) are the only athletes to win at least one state despite technically not having made the transition to professional sports yet. Tiger Woods (one state) is the only athlete on the map who doesn’t play one of the “Big Four” North American sports. Below, the top ten most popular athletes overall.

http://www.besttickets.com/blog/most-popular-athletes/

 

[DaddyTime]

You might have a case for dismissing May (no altime great, historical fight), but Iverson brought an image to the sport, even if he is a loser who never won shyt

 

[Carlos Huerta]

People make these lists and never define what they mean.

Iconic in what sense? US or globally? Just popularity wise?