March Madness Legends Continue to Reap Benefits Well After Playing Career

For those fortunate few, it has helped create opportunities away from the court, even decades after their shining moment. By looking at Thuzio 360, a database consisting of information on over 20,000 athletes including appearance fee, social post fee, sponsorship deals, and athlete representation, it is possible to quantify the continuing value those moments have created.

While Michael Jordan has numerous unforgettable moments to his credit, his game-winning jumper against Georgetown in 1982 NCAA tournament helped UNC capture the National Championship, and launched one of the greatest hoops careers ever. While Jordan is not currently seeking appearances, according to Thuzio 360, we can see his roster of current endorsements such as Nike, Hanes, and Upper Deck. Since Jordan had such an incredible NBA career it is difficult to tease out the effect his NCAA Tournament-winning shot had, but with other players it is a bit clearer.

Although Christian Laettner had a distinguished overall hoops career with an NBA All-Star appearance and as a member of the 1992 Dream team, it’s hard to forget his miraculous turnaround, fade-away, buzzer-beating jumper that gave Duke the 104-103 overtime win over Kentucky in the East Regional Final of the 1992 NCAA Tournament. It is one of the most replayed clips during March Madness, helping Laettner command a $15,000 appearance fee and $3,000 for a sponsored tweet. He also has a current deal with AT&T running through the NCAA Tournament.

For other players, their contest-clinching shots still hold great lore. As is the case for Keith Smart, who drained a jumper to propel Indiana to the National Title over Syracuse in 1987. To this day, Smart says the history of the shot is always a hot topic of conversation with fans, helping him facilitate a $3,000 appearance price tag.

Drafted in the second round of the 1995 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Tyus Edney is best known for a game-winning drive and layup against Missouri in the second round of 1995 NCAA tournament to help UCLA advance. The Bruins would then go on to win the 1995 National Championship, cementing Edney in UCLA’s illustrious lore. While Edney played four seasons in the NBA and a number of years overseas, where he was a highly regarded player, the buzzer-beater is the play that college hoops fans won’t soon forget, helping him earn a $1,500 appearance rate.

Just a year later in 1996, Syracuse’s John Wallace drilled an amazing three-pointer with seven seconds remaining against Georgia in the Sweet Sixteen. That remarkable bucket propelled Syracuse to the Final Four and a Championship Game loss to Kentucky, but nonetheless made him all the more memorable to Orange nation. It is one of the reasons why Wallace gets $1,500 to show up at various events around March Madness to this day.

And who among us has not stood on a basketball court and counted down the seconds as we enact a dream scenario of hitting a buzzer-beater three pointer to win the game. Bryce Drew lived that dream on the national stage lifting Valparaiso to a 70-69 victory over Ole Miss in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Basketball Tournament. He is now the head coach at Valpo, and says it was a blessing for the program and himself, earning $2,000 for an appearance, according to Thuzio 360.

There are so many other similar stories of moments of glory that continue to pay dividends for athletes well after their playing days. With over 300,000 data points, Thuzio 360 is able to show that value on a mass scale, which is particularly valuable for companies or organizations looking to use that athlete and their memorable sports moment to their advantage. While Michael Jordan may not need to monetize his NCAA Tournament moment anymore, it is great that less famous players are still finding a market for their services years after their magical moments captivated the country.