The 10 most important signature athletes of the 2010s

The brand deals that defined the decade
Dec 28, 2019
PHOTO: UNIQLO | ADIDAS | Under Armour

If the years from 2010 to 2019 were the time when the rising stars of the 00s truly took over from the last generation, then it only follows that massive contracts from the brands would follow.

A lot of the players on this list initially signed up with their labels in the aughts. But due the slow-burn nature of apparel, it was only in the last ten years that these sports superstars really locked in their long-term legacies with signature kicks and branded gear.

Here are the top ten signature deals of the decade.

2015 – LeBron James and Nike

The King claimed the first-ever* “lifetime” contract from Nike, which would reportedly earn him over a billion dollars by the time he hits retirement age. Nike and James ("The Decision" comes to mind) made a big fuss over it, of course, which is why basically everyone knows about this deal ?— and why it’s the deal of the decade.

2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo and Nike

The Portuguese football legend also followed up with his own billion-dollar lifetime Nike contract shortly after James in 2016 making him the second (or perhaps third*) member of a very elite club.

*Michael Jordan continues to bank the royalties from his namesake line — which is technically also a lifetime deal. So that would make him the first, if you really want to be pedantic about it.

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2017 – Lionel Messi and adidas

To cement this decade’s status as the start of lifetime deals, adidas also (unofficially, but we believe otherwise) signed Argentinian football god Lionel Messi to a lifetime gig, putting him alongside David Beckham for the German brand.

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2013 – Stephen Curry and Under Armour

In a market thoroughly dominated by swooshes and stripes, Under Armour's main man has definitely made an impact. Bandwagon or not, there's actually a decent chance to see someone wearing a pair of Currys nowadays.

2015 – James Harden and adidas

13 years and $200 million. Not bad for one of the league’s most polarizing players. By the time his three-striped contract has run its course, he'll be 43 — which basically locks him in for the rest of him NBA career. Call it a lifetime deal if you want.

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2018 – Roger Federer and Uniqlo

We aren’t into tennis as a nation, but we are definitely into Uniqlo. We see the $300 million endorsement of the all-time tennis great as a sign that the Japanese brand wants to seriously take over our athletic wear as well.

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2018 – Dwyane Wade and Li-Ning

While adidas’ reluctance to definitively call their long-term signings as “lifetime” contracts reduces the club to Nike’s top three, Li-Ning wasn’t afraid to say it was in it forever with the Heat legend. His 2012 switch to the Chinese brand was a shocker, but it’s nice to see the relationship turn out to be a ride-or-die partnership for them.

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2018 – Kawhi Leonard and New Balance

What a dealmaker. Aside from showing the world that the Leonard low-key gets what he wants by forcing a trade to the Raptors and then playing with the LA teams in his free agency drama, the Clippers star showed his off-court savvy by maneuvering for a bumper deal with New Balance after Jordan Brand allegedly cheaped out on his deal.

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2010 – Derrick Rose and adidas

D Rose is here because his story is the redemption arc of the decade. After so much talk about his huge 2012 extension turning out to be a toxic deal for adidas, his resurgence just touches the Pinoy underdog heartstrings, you know?

2019 – Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nike

The Greek Freak became the 22nd athlete to have a signature shoe with Nike this year, and we expect him to add a lot more to that in the coming years. We could very well be still slotting him into a list like this come 2029.

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PHOTO: UNIQLO | ADIDAS | Under Armour
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