20 Adidas Sponsored Athletes Of All Time

For the most part, Adidas itself goes towards that one athlete or team it is interested in. 

If not, there is another way to get this sportswear manufacturing giant's attention for a sponsorship deal. A deserving team, athlete, or organization can send their proposal to Adidas's Sports Marketing department situated at the following address:

• Adidas AG Global Sports Marketing World of Sports 91074 Herzogenaurach Germany

An Adidas representative will contact the proponent if they are concerned about the proposal. 

However, since the company receives many such requests most of the time, chances are low that one might get a reply soon. The company looks for someone who embodies the best of sports: teamwork, honesty, pride, personal accountability, and discipline.

Meanwhile, most sponsorship deals are chosen for sports or lifestyle-related supplies.

On the other hand, Adidas also focuses on providing sponsorship for less well-known organizations, especially those with a charitable purpose or with public benefit. 

Regarding the list of Adidas athletes, here are the 20 people who struck amazing deals with the three-stripes company.

Tracy McGrady is the first on the list to sign a hefty deal with the three stripers. Adidas had offered him a choice of joining them right after becoming a high school graduate.

He took the $12 million worth of lifetime contract that has continued even after his NBA retirement in August 2013.

T-Mac chose the offer in April 2002 due to the bulky financial security the contract provided, contrary to the NCAA's provision of not capitalizing on an athlete's monetary endeavors back then.  

Interestingly, the offer came even before his previous 1997 Adidas contract of $12 million for six-year had come to its expiration date. Adidas confirmed the agreement as a lifetime partnership through its official press release.

McGrady's lifetime endorsement deal produced seven signature shoe designs that became "all the buzz in the early-mid 2000s."

adidas T-MAC 1 was released in 2002 during his time with Orlando Magic. It was Adidas' number-one-selling shoe during its peak and is still in production.

adidas T-MAC 2 followed in 2003, adidas T-MAC 3 and adidas T-MAC 4 in 2004, adidas T-MAC 5 in 2005, adidas T-MAC 6 in 2006, and adidas TS Lightspeed in 2008 was the last shoe within the deal.

While two of the shoes, T-MAC 1 and 3, are still in production, Tracy and Adidas are not on good terms. During the 2022 Hashtag Sports Conference, the retired NBA star labeled their relationship "rocky."

He revealed that his treatment over his contractual period was not ideal. Adidas did not reply to the incident, but the case has not been reopened.

Adidas signed the young NBA prospect James Harden in a once-in-a-lifetime deal of $200 million over the course of the next thirteen years.

They took a risk investing in a rising name with that jaw-dropping amount in August 2015, but the decision has benefited both parties.

Over the past seven years, Harden has excelled in the sport while wearing Adidas kicks. And the Philadelphia 76ers guard is on his way to releasing the seventh installment of his signature sneaker line as of 2023.

adidas Harden Vol. 1 came out in 2016, followed by Harden Vol. 2 in June 2017, and others came after each year. The gold medalist Olympian gave a sneak peek into his Vol. 7 shoes during his return to the Philadelphia court in August 2022.

Photographer Cassy Athena shared the first few looks of the new NBA kicks on Harden's legs through her Instagram.

Besides his humongous deal for signature footwear and apparel collections, Adidas also supports this FIBA champion with marketing plans through extensive traveling around Europe and Asia.

His 2018 tour to China was met with positive response as thousands of NBA fans had gathered for his welcome and further fans meet.

NBA Rookie of the Year 2008 Derrick Rose was under a shoe deal with Adidas for $1 million per year. On February 24, 2012, Adidas and Rose's representative company negotiated a 14-year endorsement deal worth a minimum of $190 million. 

Known as a dynamic name in NBA back then, Adidas had longed to sign Rose under them. 

The contract terms also came with many terms and conditions, including a chance for Rose to earn additional tens of millions if his endorsed products sold well or if he made promotional appearances on behalf of Adidas and won player awards.

For the first venture together, adiZero Rose 1 and 1.5 were released in October 2010 and February 2011, respectively. adiZero Rose 2 followed shortly in October 2011, adiZero Rose 2.5 in February 2012, and D Rose 3 in October of the same year were sold simultaneously.

Other creations between the two include D Rose 4 from October 2013, D Rose 4.5, released in January 2014, and D Rose 5 Boost in October 2014.

Besides the signature basketball shoes, Adidas sells t-shirts and shorts under the Derrick Rose shop directory.

Despite the 34-year-old's shortcomings in his career due to constant injuries and legal troubles, he has held onto better side of the German manufactrer.

The first time Damian Lillard signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Adidas was in 2012. Coming into 2014, the Big Game Dame negotiated a new contract with the company.

What followed was blizzarding media coverage due to the contract's worth which came to $100 million over ten years. Thus, the signature shoe line, the "Adidas Dame" came to birth.

Throughout these years, NBA and its fandom have got their hands on some of the high-selling Dame kicks including adidas D Lillard 1, adidas D Lillard 2, adidas D Lillard 3, adidas Dame 4, adidas Dame 5, adidas Dame 6, and adidas Dame 7.

More successful kicks followed in later years like adidas Dame 7 EXTPLY, adidas Dame 8, and adidas Dame Certified.

The Dame collection has proved to be triumphant in terms of sales as even fellow players have tried on these kicks. Other valuable under Lillatrd also includes the selling of tank tops and shorts on the official site of the three stripes company.

Bryant first signed with Adidas in 2014 after being the Cubs' No. 2 pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. After leading his team to their first World Series trophy after 108 years, Bryant opted for a multi-year extension with Adidas in December 2016.

Celebrating the union, Adidas unveiled a "Worth The Wait" billboard outside Wrigley Field's entrance with KB's portrait. 

The three stripers then released a gear series, including baseball cleats, training, and workout equipment under his name.

Meanwhile, the terms and conditions and the amount involved in their sponsorship business remain unknown. The third baseman's cleats and clothing are still available for sale purposes.

KB was mostly with Adidas Icon Boost cleats, based on his line. Likewise, he also posed for the company's "Charged Up" collection in 2019, where the adizero Afterburner 6 and Icon V cleats were also involved..

Judge signed with Adidas in 2018 and became one of the youngest basketball stars to join the team. Aaron was named the most significant client Adidas signed that year due to his 6 feet 7 inches physical stature. 

Adidas confirmed that the two parties had agreed on a multiyear partnership, and to mark their accord, the 2017 Rookie of the Year made his 2018 on-field debut in the new adidas Icon cleats for MLB Opening Day.

None of them disclosed their deal's agreed terms and conditions and continued with their ventures. However, a 2022 report by Sports Illustrated reported that the business relationship was on the rocks.

The previous summer, he had regularly worn other brands like Nike and New Balance, and during his final game in pinstripes, Judge wore custom New Balance cleats.

Hence, the current situation between the three stripers and the MLB star remains unannounced.

Patrick Mahomes joined the Adidas family in 2017, the same year he entered the NFL Draft for a professional football career. Even so, the 2018's NFL Most Valuable Player only started working on his original shoe line in 2021.

Mahomes announced that he would be releasing his own signature shoe with the three stripes company on August 16, 2021. The shoe, Mahomes 1 Impact FLX, was released on August 23, a few days later.

Besides shoes, he also has his signature on a number of Adidas collections of tees, hoodies, joggers, shorts, and tights.

The same year, he also released Ultraboost DNA, a fashion-friendly running shoe, garnering talks from the crowd. despite having a small number of signature shoes under his name line, Mahomes' FLX is the star among NFL fellows.

Meanwhile, the exact number of the two parties' deals remains unknown. However, Patrick's $40 million net worth screams millions of earnings and luxury from his NFL reputation.

Aaron Rodgers is one of the most happening names in NFL history due to his impressive passes and media appearances. Adidas realized how big the star was the 39-year-old and struck a multi-year partnership deal with him in 2015.

Adidas later confirmed their cooperation through a September 10 tweet via their Adidas Football US Twitter handle.

While any signature shoe from Roger and the German sports giant has not met the market, Adidas sells a number of signed gear through its official website. 

Moreover, the recent dealings with sports stars include the non-displacement of their contract money; the same goes for this NFL powerhouse,

Even so, Forbes named Rodgers to its list of richest athletes in 2022. The media house put his earnings at $68 million with $11 million alone earned from endorsements.

Besides Adidas, Rodgers has selectively worked with brands such as Panini, Bose, TaylorMade, Pizza Hut, Sharpie, IZOD, and State Farm Insurance.

Gymnast Jake Dalton represented the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and earned numerous endorsement deals after his fame.

He agreed upon a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Adidas Gymnastics in 2013 and held onto the condition until he was active in his career.

The Olympian was mostly seen wearing Adidas gear and hopping around the company stores during his national and international tours.

Dalton ended his career in August 2017 and has moved on as an entrepreneur and social media influencer. His Instagram boasts 237k followers as of 2023.

He now looks after his newest venture, Gymnastics Nevada, where he trains kids in gymnastics as a former professional. Before this, the four-time international medalist founded The Mesomorphic, a clothing brand, in 2012 and looked after it until 2017.

Indeed, Adidas has reached out to each of the unique sports in the country.

Danell Leyva won hearts as the 2012 Olympic individual all-around bronze medalist, and Adidas Gymnastics was quick to sign him as a brand endorser in 2013.

The two quickly became a team at the peak of Adidas signing in gymnasts. Jake Dalton and Danell were some of the prominent figures of the company back then.

After his silver medal wins at the 2016 Olympics in parallel and horizontal bars, he retired from artistic gymnastics.

Leyva pursued an acting and media career after his sports career. While he has successfully settled down as an actor and writer, he is proud of his achievements as a former gymnast and his journey with Adidas.

Meanwhile, he and the three stripers are no longer affiliated with works and social media platforms.

Dustin Johnson is the winner of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup and the 2020 Masters Tournament. He has been one of the longest partners of Adidas Golf, with fifteen years of affiliation.

Golf reported that 2016 marked the tenth year of the two's collaboration, and Adidas renewed another multi-year clothing and footwear agreement commemorating the achievement.

Adidas sells a wide range of golf shoes, belts, tees, pants, shorts, other clothing items, and golf equipment under Johnson's name.

The 2017's No.1 golfer in world rankings now has amassed an astonishing $100 million net worth figures while he reels in around $11 million yearly from endorsements. 

With such a vast amount of earing figuration as a sports figure, Johnson remains on top of the Adidas Golf partners even today.

Paula Creamer once reached her highest world rankings at No.4 in 2008. As someone who has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events, she is one of the biggest faces in golf.

Her partnership with Adidas dates more than a decade back, when she named the company the best in her old tweets.

Regarding her association with the big German sportswear manufacturer, she was wholly involved with TaylorMade-Adidas. The company then dedicated the whole line of Pink Panther for Creamer, which she wears most of the time.

In terms of these two parties' deals and the money involved, they have mostly remained silent. Meanwhile, their good relationship has called for contract renewal each time.

Moreover, the 36-year-old was named among the ten highest-earning female athletes in 2013 in a Forbes list. That year, she had bagged a whopping $4.5 million from endorsing brands alone.

Danielle Kang turned professional in 2011 and had already caught the attention of the sportswear giant Adidas.

The two worked during the company's control over TaylorMade-Adidas, and Kang extended the contract in 2014. Since then, she has undoubtedly been a big part of the three stripers.

Fast forward to 2022, she won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida.

The win was special because she had worn an Adidas Tour360 '22 shoe, the newest to the company's collection. Later, Kang sat down with Golf and revealed that she especially worked with Adidas engineers to develop a shoe that would suit her properly.

The Tour360 '22 provided the needed optimal performance and comfort to this golf champion to perform well on each of her tours.

Besides the spikes, Adidas also sells variations of golf shirts and equipment under Kang's nametag. Meanwhile, the price of their undisclosed deal continues to intrigue golf fans.

The young NHL star, Brock Boeser and Adidas first signed a partnership agreement in 2015. The two had signed a seven-year work relationship accord back then.

The Athletic, in its October 2018 report, confirmed that Adidas Hockey had signed "The Flow" to a multi-year partnership, and he was to be featured in various marketing campaigns as a part of Adidas' plan for fast expansion of its business in American sports.

Besides the business view, Boser grew up wearing Adidas, making it a dream come true to be a part of this sportswear manufacturing powerhouse.

The 25-year-old continues to wear Adidas-produced playing gear in the hockey arena and tees outside his game hours. Their partnership is going strong coming into 2023.

Lacrosse midfielder Myles Jones was the No.1 pick at Major League Lacrosse (MLL) in 2016. As Adidas looked for ways to broaden its reach into more forms of sports, he became the first pick for this corporation.

Thus, the announcement of their partnership came right after where the two parties signed a multiyear partnership. 

Addressing the new journey, Adidas' Lacrosse senior director Ryan Brown had complimented Myles as a true game changer and creator having a unique style and personality. These qualities also made him the perfect ambassador for Adidas Lacrosse.

The sponsorship game is going strong as Brown has continued dining on Adidas on and off the field. Moreover, his social media posts have been decorated with Adidas products and his identity as a three-stripe lifer.

The Olympic gold medalist and 100-meter individual medley champion, Michael Andrew, is a young prospect in swimming. He happened to sign a partnership agreement with Adidas back in 2015.

He was even photographed inside the headquarters when he was a teenager. He became one of the youngest members of the Adidas Swim team to agree upon a multi-year partnership and joined the likes of Cesar Cielo, Allison Schmitt, Chris Walker-Hebborn, and Coralie Balmy.

The category director Christine Barth-Darkow commented on Andrew's start of a global journey in swimming. While the two parties started on a positive note, the start of 2023 sees no connection between them.

As their deal's terms and conditions were not shared with the public, the two sides have ventured on their own. No further updates on their previous pact have hit the news yet.

Caty McNally and Adidas' sponsorship contract goes back to the former's career, even before turning pro. She turned professional in 2019, but her social presence has been mostly filled with the German giant's products.

She has an apparel and shoe contract with Adidas and promotes them on her Instagram and Twitter.

The three stripes share one of the successful professional bonds with McNally on the tennis field. Moreover, their relationship is going strong with no issues found until now.

Meanwhile, their terms and conditions as partners remained shut behind the Adidas headquarter doors even to this date.

Ana Ivanovic signed Adidas a lifetime deal with in 2010, CNBC the news. She became the youngest ever athlete to sign an agreement of this length at the young age of 23.

While the terms of this hefty deal were not disclosed, she continues to be an Adidas endorser even to this date. 

Before her retirement in December 2016, she had been engaged with the German brand since 2006.

While there have been talks that she receives more than $3 million per year after the lifetime contract, both parties have not quite put the finger on the figure.

Even so, the contract brings on hefty responsibilities for both of them as they have carried on to their words even after six years of Ana's active play.

Her Instagram features content on family life and healthy lifestyle while she looks after he beauty business.

Robbie Lawler signed an endorsement deal with Adidas in 2014 inc coming from the latter's decision to expand its reach to the MMA world. Lawler then sponsored by Adidas had gone on a $1,000 shopping spree at an Adidas retail store in Las Vegas.

After signing the deal, he openly stated that he was happy to have signed the two-year deal and further added that it was going to be awesome.

Well-known for his aggressive fighting style, Lawler boasts the title of the only fighter to have received three consecutive "Fight of the Year" awards from Sherdog and MMA Fighting.

However, things did not turn out well for Adidas and MMA sponsorships and the deal went stale sometime later.

Besides this MMA powerhouse, fellow fighter Luke Rockhold was another fighter to have captured the attention of the German sportswear giant.

With the failure of such deals in the world of fighting, it may take some more time for Adidas to make its way into the octagon.

The late NBA legend Kobe Bryant has an interesting history with Adidas regarding their sponsorship deal. Before the start of the 1996-97 season, the two had agreed upon a six-year worth $48 million contract.

After they became one, his first signature shoe was the Equipment KB 8. Adidas further presented its vision for the Kobe line and introduced various sneakers and clothing items.

However, the young lad later became uninterested in the deal and reportedly paid $8 million to get out of the remainder of the contract.

In addition to him getting out of the line, fellow player Tracy McGrady hugely benefitted from the deal. T-Mac knabbed more figures with his later negotiations though he seems to be unimpressed coming into 2023.

On the other hand, the public has long wondered about the face of the Adidas sneaker line if the late Bryant had stayed with the German giant.

This concludes our list of some twenty Adidas-sponsored athletes of all time.