Sep 07, 2017

Sports Keynote Speakers

Magic Johnson

Known for his 13 year professional basketball career, which includes 12 NBA All-Star games, and Olympic gold medal win, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is also one of our most requested business speakers. After retiring from professional basketball, Magic turned his interest toward entrepreneurship and became a leading spokesperson for HIV education. After leaving the ballcourt, Magic turned to the board room. He established the Magic Johnson Development Corporation, which builds commercial property in long-neglected minority urban and suburban neighborhoods. Magic Johnson now runs his own company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, which is constantly evolving, acquiring and selling businesses frequently. It owns, or has owned, franchised branches of Starbucks, Burger King and T.G.I Friday’s. Johnson also stayed true to his sports roots by investing in both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Dominique Dawes

Dominique Dawes was a part of the 1992 bronze-winning women’s Olympic gymnastic team. She was the first African American gymnast to qualify and compete in an Olympic game. Dawes is also the most decorated gymnast on the U.S. women’s Olympic team. Since her Olympic glory, Dawes hasn’t rested on her laurels. Her dedication, determination, and desire have served her well as a positive role model to people across the nation. Appointed co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, she is a popular speaker who shares insights about leading a healthy, balanced life, and achieving confidence and self-esteem through both athleticism and citizenship. Dawes is also a sought after sports keynote speaker and a sports broadcaster who has commentated on the Olympic Games in both Beijing and Vancouver for Yahoo! Sports.

Bill Walton

Bill Walton has a prolific basketball career. He was a member of the 1977 Portland Trailblazers NBA Championship team. Walton was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in  1978, on the NBA All-Star Team in 1977 and 1978, and won NBA Playoff’s MVP in 1977. Walton is one of only four players in the history of basketball to have won multiple NCAA and multiple NBA Championships. After retiring from basketball Bill began his broadcasting career in 1990 as an analyst for the then Prime Ticket Network.  Walton worked for CBS Sports in the early 90’s and then for NBC for many years, including work on the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games. Walton has been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and in 2001 won an Emmy for Best Live Sports Television Broadcast.

Amy Van Dyken

Amy is a six-time Olympic gold medal swimmer, who has the distinction of being one of the few Olympians whose medals are all gold. Some of her many accolades include being inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame as well as the International Swimming Hall of Fame, winning an EPSY for Female Athlete of the Year, and breaking several world swimming records. Amy has retired from swimming after an ATV accident left her paralyzed from the waist down. She continues to inspire through her public speaking about sports, leadership, and overcoming adversity. Amy is also a sports keynote speaker who speaks on peak performance, overcoming adversity, and work-life balance.

Peyton Manning

Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning is the NFL’s only five-time MVP and 14-time Pro Bowl selection. Most recently he led the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl L making him the first starting quarterback in NFL football history to win more than one Super Bowl with two different teams. In 2012, after missing the entire 2011 campaign due to a neck injury, Manning finished as the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year and runner-up for the league’s MVP. Peyton is a sought after sports keynote speaker though he doesn’t speak much throughout the year.

Robyn Benincasa

Robyn Benincasa is a World Champion Eco-Challenge Adventure Racer, a CNN Hero, and a full-time firefighter with a background in corporate marketing who advises organizations on how to build a world class team of their own. She and her teammates have competed at the front of the pack in the most unique and compelling locations on earth–the jungles of Borneo, the Himalayan peaks of Tibet, the rivers of Fiji, the rainforests of Ecuador and the desert of Namibia–studying the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty in extreme teamwork. Through these challenges, she has mastered the skills required to inspire a group of semi-exhausted people through a seemingly endless series of checkpoints, in pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal. Motivational business speaker Robyn Benincasa offers a refreshing and truly unique perspective on what it takes to build the kind of world class team that succeeds against all odds.

Bob Costas

Bob costas has been a significant part of sports broadcasting for the past three decades, from presenting Baseball Game of the Week with Bob Costas to hosting the Olympics. He is the only person to win Emmys in the three categories of news, sports, and entertainment, winning 26 Emmys in total–more than any other sports broadcaster. Bob is a seasoned sports keynote speaker and currently hosts Football Night in America on NBC and as well contributes to NBC News programs such as Nightly News, Rock Center, and The Today Show. He also continues to be the primetime host of NBC’s Olympic coverage.

Diana Nyad

At the age of 64, Diana Nyad successfully fulfilled her lifelong dream of completing the 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida on September 2, 2013. Never one to quit, this marked her fifth and final attempt. It was in July of 2010, at the age of 60, when she first began her quest of swimming from Cuba to Florida, a task she had failed to finish thirty years prior that. Nyad was unsuccessful in 2010 and tried two more times 2011 and 2012 before completing her historic and victorious swim in 2013. When asked her motivation, she replied, “Because I’d like to prove to the other 60-year-olds that it is never too late to start your dreams.” If Diana’s story doesn’t motivate you to keep working towards your dreams, then nothing will.

J.B. Bernstein

J.B. Bernstein is one of the most respected marketing experts in the world of sports. His story was portrayed by Jon Hamm in the Disney movie Million Dollar Arm. A few years ago, inspired by the increasing popularity of reality television in the United States and the global phenomena that NBA player, Yao Ming generated, Bernstein saw an untapped opportunity to change the game. He then traveled to India, motivated to find the first Indian born player in professional baseball history and created a contest that would reward one lucky contestant with $1 million and a chance to play for a professional baseball team in the U.S. A talented sports keynote speaker, Bernstein captivates audiences with valuable insight on business, marketing, selling, and achieving success in unpredictable and unprecedented circumstances.

Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick is a professional racecar driver and one of the most recognizable female athlete in the United States. In 2013, she became the first female NASCAR driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, turning in the fastest qualifying lap since 1990 and qualifying for the Daytona 500.Over the course of her career, Danica has earned respect in a male-dominated sport and has become an international sensation.

Peter Guber

Peter Guber is a vanguard in the sports and entertainment industries. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors and owner of the L.A. Dodgers.  He is an owner and and the Executive Chairman of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). He is also the author of the #1 New York Times Bestselling book “Tell to Win” and a professor at UCLA. Guber has transformed each company he’s been a part of. His management is credited with overhauling the Warriors and had a significant part in their Championship wins in 2015 and 2017. Guber is an expert sports keynote speaker who speaks on the topics of teambuilding, leadership, and innovation.

Email us to learn more about one of these sports keynote speakers or to book them for your next event.

 

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