Boxing legend, Mike Tyson, was one of the most talked about athletes in his heyday. With his unconventional fighting style, and brutal knockouts, he became the biggest boxer of his time. His illustrious career earned him millions, which aided his lavish lifestyle. However, Tyson recently revealed that he was once interested in having his own sneaker brand. 

Mike Tyson recently went sneaker shopping with ‘Complex’, where he was asked, “Do you remember any like brands approaching for a deal?”

The former world heavyweight champion replied, “If they did, I wasn’t interested. I was interested in making my own sneaker. Some people wanted me to have my own sneaker, but I was moving too fast, I couldn’t take care of that stuff.”

“I had my money, I didn’t need no deals,” said Tyson. 

Tyson has a huge global fanbase, therefore it’s possible that his name on a sneaker brand would have been quite successful. It’s likely that Tyson might have reached the billion-dollar mark by now, had he not gone into bankruptcy, before starting his sneaker brand. Other well-known athletes are the owners of their own sneaker companies, and even after they’ve retired, they continue to reap the financial benefits.

Notable athletes with successful shoe brands

The NBA great, Michael Jordan, is regarded as the richest athlete on the planet. However, the billionaire’s successful NBA career, earned him only a small part of his net worth. The major chunk of his income comes from the various businesses that he owns. The most notable of them is his massive deal with Nike. 

His Airness has his own subdivision in Nike named ‘Air Jordan’. Along with the various Air Jordan accessories, the most popular are Jordan shoes which are widely loved by people. It first started with Nike backing it, but its popularity made it become an independent company. It is still a major player in the shoe and sneaker industry.

Furthermore, NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal, also has his own line of basketball shoes named, Shaq brand. It started when, Reebok offered him a deal to promote their shoes. However, Shaq then realized that the price of the shoes was too expensive. 

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Following that, Shaq brought designers from Reebok and tried to sell affordable shoes. It became a big hit, and Shaq’s company has sold over 400 million pairs. Meanwhile, what do you think about Tyson’s remarks on his own sneaker line? Let us know in the comments below.