Sports Speakers

Sports speakers are the great utility players of the public speaking game. Ever since athletes began retiring young (pretty much since the beginning of professional sports), they have brought the stories of their heroics to rapt audiences. In the sometimes-murky world of business, it can be hard to say who the true champions are--not so amongst sports legends.

Consider Magic Johnson. In thirteen years with the L.A. Lakers, Earvin "Magic" Johnson won five championships. He was MVP three times and Finals MVP another three times. Magic was the king of the "triple double," often racking up double-digit numbers in points, passes, and blocks in a single game.

On November 8, 1991, Johnson announced that he was retiring. He had tested positive for the HIV Virus. But Magic continued on. He started The Magic Johnson Foundation, funding HIV and AIDS education and prevention. Johnson then started the Magic Johnson Theaters, opening multiplexes in underserved urban centers around the country. He is co-director of the Canyon Johnson Urban Fund, a $300 million real estate fund dedicated to urban renewal and growth, which continues on today.

Sports Speakers Offer True Inspiration

Magic's is an especially gripping story, but he isn't alone among sports speakers. Sports legends from quarterbacks to coaches to Olympic medalists have first-person tales of on- and off-field battles that often inspire and motivate audiences. Joe Montana, Pat Reily, Jack Nicklaus, and Mark Spitz are just a few of the regulars on the speaker circuit. The long list of active sports speakers reads like a Who's-Who list of sports greats.