Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is an NBA champion, he could be in for a massive financial upgrade. The Greek Freak led the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years, since the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. For his performances in the Finals, Giannis was named the Finals MVP. With these two accolades, Antetokounmpo is already one of the most accomplished NBA stars playing today. And clearly, he has a lot of time left in his career, being only 26 years old. But now that he has handled his business on the court, he can focus on business off the court. And from the looks of things, business is booming.
In a recent article by Justin Birnbaum of Forbes, there was a suggestion that Giannis can start earning some serious money in endorsements. As one of the biggest players in the league, Giannis is already signed to some lucrative endorsement deals, most notably with Nike, JBL, and Budweiser. And as things stand, he could be overtaking Steph Curry in earnings from endorsements. But it doesn’t just end there.
Birnbaum spoke to Dr. Tim Derdenger, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. Derdenger says that Giannis’ championship win will open more doors for endorsement deals going forward. In fact, given Giannis’ clout on the court, he is one of the most popular stars in the NBA. And the fact that he is an international star only makes him a more lucrative endorsement asset for companies. Marc Ganis, a sports consultant who spoke to Birnbaum, believes that if Giannis were to focus on expanding his endorsement portfolio, he could join LeBron James in the top-most echelon of NBA stars with endorsement deals.
“Antetokounmpo joined the NBA from Greece in 2013 and in just a few years rose to become one of the league’s biggest names, signing a five-year, $228 million extension with the Bucks in December. He also earns some $25 million annually in endorsements, with partners that include Nike, JBL and Budweiser in the U.S., as well as Sarantis and Protergia in Greece. That’s the fifth-highest off-the-court haul in the NBA, according to Forbes’ data. Derdenger estimates that number could climb to between $35 million and $40 million based on Antetokounmpo’s success and international appeal, bringing him within range of Stephen Curry.”
“…’This is a person who can promote Louis Vuitton as well and effectively as Nike,’ says sports consultant Marc Ganis. He adds that Antetokounmpo could be even bigger, doubling or even tripling his current endorsement mark ‘if he chose to make that a priority”.’
“It’s an opportune time for the Greek superstar. With James’ career winding down, Antetokounmpo’s newfound champion status could could make him a viable option as the future face of Nike basketball. In 2019, the sneaker brand released the Zoom Freak 1, which was the largest initial signature shoe launch in Nike basketball history.”
Giannis has proven to be one of the most powerful names in the NBA, when it comes to the marketing side of things. And companies will be looking to swoop up Giannis in order to help promote their products if it means them garnering more interest from his fanbase.
