We asked Ben Alamar, ESPN's director of sports analytics, to figure out the most famous athletes in the world. Using a formula that combines athlete paychecks - salary and endorsements - with social media fan base and Google search popularity, he ranked the world's 100 most famous athletes. Here is the ESPN World Fame 100.
The Cleveland Cavaliers landed two players on our list:
No. 2 LeBron James
IT'S GOOD TO BE: LeBron James is a powerhouse on and off the court. He and Michael Jordan are the only players to win a regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. He's pals with everyone from mega-investor Warren Buffett to Jay Z. In 2014, Forbes named James the World's Most Powerful Athlete, and in 2015 James announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for as many as 2,300 students, beginning in 2021. He touches all the bases.
No. 67 Kevin Love
IT'S GOOD TO BE: LeBron James' handpicked wing man and a scorer whose teammates are constantly telling him he should shoot more, not less. Sounds like heaven, right?
