Some stars shine so bright they’re known by one name.
Serena. Tiger. LeBron. Beckham.
Each athlete’s aura shines so brightly that entire industries can open up for all to eat. These superstars can create economies around arenas and revive downtown districts once dead.
Jordan. Messi. Federer. Gretzky.
Such charismatic competitors can put an entire sport on their back, serving as the rising tide that lifts attendance, media deals, and venue income from coast to coast, country to country.
Magic. Deion. Griffey. Pele.
In 2022, the global sports market is said to have already eclipsed $400 billion in annual revenue. Just the same, said stars have already made their curtain call in competition or are rounding out the back nine. Who is up next?
The global sports market revenue is estimated to reach $680 billion by 2028, and a new constellation of stars will take the torch long held by Biles, Brady, Curry, and Ronaldo. They’ll have a chance to make more money than those before them and take their brands further than dial-up internet or paper currency ever could.
Those athletes are Boardroom’s Enterprising Eight.
Selecting stars across sports and under 25 that possess not just stats and plaques but also “it,” learn who we see resetting history in athletics and business all at once.
Angel Reese
Accolades: WNBA All-Star, NCAA Champion, Final Four MOP, 3x All-American, SEC Player of the Year, McDonald’s All-American
Following: 3.8M on IG, 3.8M on TikTok, 567K on X
Money Moves: Reebok, Revolve, Havaianas, DC Power FC, Ulta Beauty, Pinky Extensionz, Amazon, Beats, FashionNova, Good American, Raising Canes, Coach, Discord, Outback Steakhouse, Sonic, TurboTax, Wingstop, Xfinity
College accolades and NIL were only the prelude for Angel Reese.
In two seasons at LSU, Bayou Barbie had Baton Rouge looking like Larry Johnson’s Las Vegas, making the Lady Tigers the hottest ticket in town. Not only was Angel that girl on campus, she quickly became the Final Four’s MOP and a national name with millions of followers and dozens of endorsements.
Fast fame nor quick cash quenched her hunger for more, with Angel’s All-Star arrival in the WNBA signaling such.
As comfortable in a bespoke Vogue shoot as she is on the court, Reese is a consistent double-double capable of putting a city on her back. She’s unafraid and unapologetic like a young Allen Iverson while GOAT’d and glamorous like a seasoned Tina Thompson.
In a sense, fellow Tiger O’dell Beckham Jr. may be the last athlete to translate All-Pro potential and All-World personality in sports quite like Reese is today. She has a look, energy, and individuality that represent a new era with the stats to match her seven-figure following.
It’s a new day in women’s sports heaven sent to Angel. Cosmetic companies and apparel partnerships have made multi-millionaires out of Rihanna and AI, who’s to say Bayou Barbie can’t do both?
Anthony Edwards
Accolades: No. 1 Draft Pick, 2x NBA All-Star, Team USA Olympian, SEC Freshman of the Year, McDonald’s All-American
Following: 3.5M on IG, 545K on TikTok, 284K on X
Money Moves: Adidas, Bose, Sprite, Chipotle, Foot Locker, Netflix, NBA 2K, Alltroo, Aura
For 30 years, numerous NBA talents have had “The Next Jordan” label thrown at them. But were any of them so cold that fan fiction suggested they were actually Michael Jordan’s son?
Anthony Edwards is built different – and in this case, it isn’t a cliche. Although 23 & Me tests may not confirm kin to Jumpman 23, Ant-Man is cut from a similar cloth regardless of DNA or sponsor.
Like Mike, Edwards has a historically struggling Midwest NBA franchise on his back, dethroning the defending champs in the playoffs ahead of schedule. He’s so good so fast that he has billionaire businessmen in a tug-of-war for team ownership.
Like Mike, Ant is instantly a giant through footwear, shouldering earnings and expectations for Adidas and Foot Locker alike. His debut signature is crushing the competition in all commercial meanings, connecting with culture in ways a basketball shoe hasn’t in two decades.
An old soul in new shoes, Ant is the lone athlete on this list able to ignite billionaire bidding wars and shifts in sneaker culture. Entering his prime, he can turn down movie roles but won’t turn down the last shot.
It’s an aura eerily familiar yet all his own.
Fan fiction be damned, Anthony Edwards isn’t like Mike, he’s like that.
Caitlin Clark
Accolades: WNBA All-Star, WNBA No. 1 Pick, All-Time Leading Scorer in D1 Basketball, 2x College Player of the Year, 4x First Team All-American, McDonald’s All-American
Following: 2.7M on IG, 451K on TikTok, 425K on X
Money Moves: Nike, State Farm, Gatorade, Bose, Goldman Sachs, Gainbridge, Wilson, Panini America, Buick
Men lie, women lie, and men mostly lie about women’s sports. What does not lie is numbers.
Caitlin Clark is multiplying the metrics on women’s basketball at an exponential rate. She’s not doing it alone, and she’s not doing it first, but she is doing it like no one before. In college, Clark set records in scoring and streaming. In only months as a pro, the WNBA media rights have tripled.
While the entirety of the W’s growth can’t be pinned exclusively on Clark, her impact is immense. Don’t believe us? Look at the YouTube views for Indiana Fever highlights versus that of every other franchise.
True to history, success comes with envy. Pete Maravich and Mike Jordan faced the same shade in their rookie arrivals due to their inordinate interest and disproportionate earnings. Just the same, they put brands, leagues, and entire markets on the map.
In Indiana, the state where basketball blossomed, Clark has a chance to galvanize not just a downtown district but the entire Midwest. Boys and girls too young to see Steph’s ascent or Kobe’s competitiveness have a hybrid hero in Caitlin who feels entirely new and uniquely relatable.
Hot takes or loaded lies aside, the Caitlin Clark Effect is very real. The numbers back it and they’re only going up.
Carlos Alcaraz
Accolades: No. 1 ATP Singles Ranking, Career Surface Slam, Youngest Player to Complete the Channel Slam
Following: 5.8M on IG, 804K on X, 849K on TikTok
Money Moves: Nike, LVMH, Rolex, BMW, Netflix, TopSpin 2K, Itaú Personnalité, ElPozo Alimentación, Villa Marquis, Itaú, ISDIN, Icons Memorabilia
Capturing cool and affluence is harder than hitting a 130 mph serve from Novak Djokovic. Luckily, Carlos Alcaraz can do all three.
Sought out by Supreme, LVMH, Nike, Rolex, and BMW, Alcaraz is already hitting the HOV lane of endorsement deals, and he’s only 21. The bags are big, the looks are right, and the future is bright.
On court, the Spanish superstar has been described as Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer all rolled into one. Those top talents pocketed $450 million of prize money in a quarter century combined. Alcaraz is already earning $45 million annually through tennis and endorsements despite cracking the Top 100 just three years ago.
Green in more ways than one, Alcaraz is actively dethroning tennis’ Big 3, quickly taking on the title of Big Me.
Want More from Boardroom? Get Our Newsletter
CJ Stroud
Accolades: NFL Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowl selection, No. 2 Draft Pick, 2x Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Following: 1.1M on IG, 142K on X
Money Moves: BMW, C4 Energy, Fanatics, Cheetos, Lemon Perfect, Lowe’s, Verizon, Visa, Lockerverse, Ballogy, Texas Ranchers Pro Pickleball Team, HEB
There is no position more powerful in American sports than NFL quarterback, and there is no safer bet on success than CJ Stroud.
Turning a cellar franchise into a stellar franchise, Stroud shocked all assessors of his ceiling by winning Rookie of the Year, leading the Houston Texans to the playoffs, and instantly entering the MVP race. In the pocket, CJ is efficient, focused, and calculated like Troy Aikman and Tom Brady before him.
But what if we told you that’s not just the start of the CJ Stroud story, but only half of it?
CJ is a marketer’s dream. Poised, professional, and purposeful, Stroud is as authentic and articulate as they come. He’s had equity in energy drinks since his college career and is changing laws in California in his offseason. Owning rooms most would sell their soul to get in, he’s the sober star at the White Party, yet still the guy Michael Rubin and Travis Scott want to be next to.
At only 22 years old, Stroud is proving powerful in corporate America and cultural America. Imagine what he does with an MVP trophy or Super Bowl ring to his name.
Coco Gauff
Accolades: No. 2 WTA Singles Ranking, No. 1 WTA Doubles Ranking, 7x Singles Titles, 9x Doubles Titles, US Flag Bearer, Team USA Olympian
Following: 1.7M on IG, 654K on TikTok, 367K on X
Money Moves: New Balance, Rolex, American Eagle, Bose, Head, Barilla, Baker Tilly, Naked Juice, Carol’s Daughter
In 2024, tennis anyone turned to tennis everyone.
From a changing guard of talent on the court to theatric influence across cinema and fashion, the English pastime has become more American and alive than it’s been in ages. At the center of this youth movement is Coco Gauff.
Bursting on the national tennis scene at the tender age of 10, Coco’s climb from junior juggernaut to international icon seemed ahead of schedule when it happened. Fast forward to today and it’s proven right on time.
At only 20, Coco claims over a dozen titles in singles and doubles play combined, already ranked amongst the best in her sport. This timely tandem of youth and excellence makes Coco one to watch for those long invested in the game, but her passionate play makes her appeal to those less attuned historically.
A glowing smile, unshakable strength, and charismatic confidence separate Coco from her peers just as much as her talent does. Because of this, Coco can grow the game — and her image — in lockstep with the sport’s seismic shift.
Kylian Mbappé
Accolades: PSG All-Time Goals Leader, French Player of the Year, Golden Boot, Silver Ball, FIFA World Cup Best Young Player, 2018 World Cup Champion
Following: 120M on IG, 14.3M on X
Money Moves: Nike, Oakley, FIFA, Hublot, Sorare, Accor, Loewe, Caen
Most members of this list are awaiting their championship moment or salary situation that places them on the path to immortality in their sport and at the bank. At only 25, Kylian Mbappé’s already achieved both in bunches.
Pushing off $1 billion deals from PSG and Saudi Arabia years after scoring a World Cup goal as a teenager, all accolades attached to the French forward are beyond ridiculous.
Making more money at 25 than Tiger Woods did at 30, Mbappé is living the dream of every athlete before him with more marketing potential than those who set the bar. Dating models like Beckham and fronting global Nike campaigns like LeBron, you don’t have to have on Mbappé’s signature Oakley sunglasses to see just how far he can take his brand.
From France to Dubai, the shy sensation of African ancestry possesses the perfect balance of quiet cool and big-stage confidence to appeal to fans from all regions. He’s already arrived internationally and commercially even if he’s still sought after as though he has something to prove.
Victor Wembanyama
Accolades: NBA Rookie of the Year, No. 1 Draft Pick, Team France Olympian, NBA All-Defensive First Team, French Player of the Year
Following: 4M on IG, 1.3M on TikTok, 350K on X
Money Moves: Nike, Louis Vuitton, HEB, 2K, Fanatics, Barcode, Topps
There’s a universe where Victor Wembanyama is the best player in the world before he can sip Chateau d’Yquem in San Antonio with Coach Popovich.
The 7-4 French phenom who hits step-back 3s with ease and sticks dunk attempts to the backboard like magnetics to a fridge is far from fully formed yet possesses unearthly ability on both sides of the ball. Even in an era where everything is recorded and uploaded, Big Vic is doing things on the basketball court no one has ever seen.
Lucky for fans in SA and abroad, the French Revolution will be televised, streamed, and reshared.
Viral Vic highlights already reach further than his 8ft wingspan stretches, setting the stage for endorsement domination in both hemispheres and maybe even outer space. Already, the 20-year-old Alien appears in Louis Vuitton ads orchestrated by Pharrell and Nike commercials broadcast worldwide.
Still, it’s Texas where he has the most to gain.
It is almost certain that by 2028 Victor Wembanyama will embark on half a billion dollars of earnings backed by no state tax. With said salary and endless endorsements, the Fiesta Frenchman can make a midsize market his own, attracting expertise of all industries to the city where Tony, Timmy, and Manu won five rings.
Mature for his age, talented beyond belief, Vic is already aging like a fine wine without even coming close to being uncorked.
