Giannis invests in sports nutrition company
Giannis Antetokounmpo is already the face of the Milwaukee Bucks, the MVP of the NBA and has endorsements with Nike, T-Mobile and JBL, among others. Now, the Bucks superstar is taking his first step into the world of brand investing.
On Thursday, Ready Nutrition announced that Antetokounmpo has joined the company, investing at a level that gives him an ownership stake and creative input in the company's future, along with an exclusive endorsement and community role with the brand's Ready Water and other sports nutrition products.
Ready Nutrition, a growing sports nutrition company that sells a variety of all-natural products, was founded by former University of Pittsburgh basketball player Pat Cavanaugh in 2012. Twotime NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald, also is an investor and owner.
Antetokounmpo has been using Ready Nutrition's products for nearly two years. Over that time, he became convinced that joining the company fit into his personal mission and goals.
“We have been presented with many, many brand opportunities over the past couple years; some from very large, well-known brands but I have found very few where I believed in the products," Antetokounmpo said in a release. “I have to believe in the product. I use and believe in Ready's Products.
“It's also important for me to believe in the mission of the company; and Pat and Ready's vision match my interests in health and nutrition. For me to get involved with the company at this level and build something special — it will give me the chance to learn and make an impact on a global level, not just here in the U.S. This fits everything I was looking for.”
Antetokounmpo's decision to join Ready Nutrition comes with benefits for the Milwaukee community. His first initiative with Ready will involve donating 34,000 bottles of Ready Water — a sports hydration drink featuring 15 grams of protein, no sugar and five natural Electrolytes — and 34,000 Ready protein bars to Milwaukee Public Schools for inclusion in their daily meal programs. An additional 34,000 bottles of Ready Water will be donated to Milwaukee area healthcare workers.