Basketball Players Are Walking Billboards
When I was a ballboy for the New York Knicks from 2000 -2003, every game I was introduced or connected with an individual from a major clothing company, casino, publicist, club promoter, etc. Everyone wanted the athlete to wear their brand or make an appearance at their venue to draw business and name recognition that this athlete was at my business.
Since Lebron James came into the league he has been sought after with respect to endorsements. He’s one of the most well known players in history and has helped many brands generate income.
I started to recognize a niche for players and brands that wanted to be connected to them to create value for their company and create product awareness. Upon learning branding, a celebrity publicist informed me that players are walking billboards.
In the business of basketball, your name is a brand in the industry. Before you even get to the pro league, it’s the name that everyone is either hearing or talking about amongst recruiters. Of course, your talent and hard work are what it takes to be a great player, but your name is what speaks of the volume of who you are as a person.
Steph Curry has been in high demand since he came into the league. He ranks amongst the top of the league in endorsements every year. Photo courtesy of Under Armour / Steph Curry
Your attitude, work ethic, personality, etc., follows behind your name that carries with you into your career. I remember working at NBA Entertainment offices full time in Secaucus, NJ. A young high school phenom’s word circulated the NBA offices about his dominant game, and everyone had to see it for themselves. In the early 2000s and I was lucky enough to have two jobs in the NBA at the same time.
Kyrie Irving is one of Nike’s young stars generating a lot of income for the Sneaker super power. Photo by Nike.com
Soon after, his name was getting recognition worldwide for his multi-talented skills on the court, and endorsement deals would wait for him as soon as he signed his first contract in the league. He was a walking billboard to sponsors because his name was gaining attention, and the brands could already see his massive following. For four years, he kept out of trouble and surrounded himself with friends and family that would protect him from the evildoers in the world that we’re looking for a payday off of his name.
He built up his name by letting his game speak for himself and respecting himself and others which only brought more value to his name. There was no social media platform for likes and followers to become a trending topic, just Sportscenter, to increase his popularity to superstardom. I know what you’re thinking. Not all basketball players can come straight out of high school and into the pros and make an impact. Yes! You are right. However, it’s what you do leading up to the big dance that separates you from the rest.
Dream about seeing your name in the big lights on the scoreboard or hearing the announcer introduce you into the game? It starts by making a name for yourself in high school, and with today’s social media companies are waiting for the next big-name athlete to grace the courts.
If you’re an NBA player brands want you to represent them. Not only superstars but role players alike. Chandler Parsons with FaceofMan campaign explaining how they are walking billboards.
If you want to be a professional basketball player, you have to look the part, act it, be it and believe you are the next big-name basketball player with a name to watch. Educate yourself on understanding why branding is so vital for a professional athlete and company. For the athlete, It’s about creating a sustainable income outside of games and performances, and for the company attaching a name to their product or service brings them name recognition. Marketing to your audience only increases your value, and more endorsement deals will view you as a marketable representative.
On your end, it’s going to take a lot of work to stay away from the things that can set you back—knowing your position but playing your game to let it speak on the court—keeping your circle small but with like minded friends that want to grow with you and help you to succeed. You have the world in the palm of your hands, and with a press of a button, the whole world can know about you. Today’s current superstars are already laying the blueprint down for you to follow to become a household name that sponsors want to attach their brand to you.