In the modern world of sports it has become a lot more common place for an athlete to develop his or her own personal logo. Things in this area of sports-business started to explode in the 1990’s and they have gone to an entirely new level over the past 20 years. Today, nearly all of the big stars in the world’s most popular sports have their own logos.

Here are the 10 best in the world:

#10 J.J. Watt

If you’re like me you may see “JL” in this logo. Obviously, it’s supposed to be a mirrored “J” but I’m deducting points because that’s not super clear and these things should be nothing but obviously clear for marketing purposes. The logo is also supposed to form a “W” for Watt’s last name, which again doesn’t immediately look right. I feel like this is missing one big tweak to make it better.

#9 Jack Nicklaus

This logo was created in the late 1960’s to match Nicklaus’ “Golden Bear” nickname. It’s been around forever so anyone with a passing knowledge of golf should recognize it. Even though Nicklaus has plenty of business ventures in which he uses the logo if you’re under 30 you likely have no memory of him actually playing golf. That’s why the bear logo is usually accompanied by his signature these days.

#8 Roger Federer

Roughly 3 out of every 4 athlete logos created over the past decade uses initials in a way that promotes this ‘broken letter’ style. Think of someone like Kevin Durant and his logo. No one has done it better than Federer, though. If you think this looks like it belongs on a bottle of cologne that’s because the original design–with help from his wife–was for just that originally. Roger lost this logo when he left Nike but reportedly owns it again.

#7 Penny Hardaway

This logo makes me happy and sad. It’s makes me smile because it’s so amazingly 90’s and you can just hear Chris Rock’s voice through Lil Penny in the Nike commercials. It also makes me sad that Hardaway was a shell of himself by 28 years old and his career (and logo) never took off like it truly deserved.

#6 Arnold Palmer

This logo was created in 1961 after the reigning best golfer in the world began building his Arnold Palmer Enterprises, Inc. business. That foray into the world market would go splendidly well for Palmer and he created maybe the best multi-color personal logo in the world.

#5 Ken Griffey, Jr.

For some this is in the running as the best logo ever. There’s so much to like, from showing Junior’s silky smooth lefty swing and his backwards hat. My only gripe is that it’s a difficult logo to draw and it’s quite often mirrored incorrectly to make it look like Griffey was a right-handed batter.

#4 Tiger Woods

Nike’s first logo for Tiger Woods was probably one of the worst efforts in sports history. Their second effort that he still uses on the course today was much, much better. It’s not super flashy but strong and distinctive. Woods also has a sweet new logo for his foundation and occasionally uses his Frank the Tiger logo on his apparel which is amazing in its own right.

#3 LeBron James

It seems like LeBron has been in our lives forever and that this logo has been around just as long. However, it was Nike’s second effort after James signed with the Miami Heat. His previous logo incorporated his #23 and it didn’t work anymore as he switched to #6 with Miami. This new logo has become iconic with the “LJ” letters and crown for his King James nickname.

#2 Greg Norman

The Australian golfer’s business portfolio is legendary and his shark logo–primarily used on his clothing and apparel line–has been among the best in the world since he worked with Reebok in the early 1990’s. There have been fewer things cooler in golf than Norman in his signature straw hat with the Shark logo.

 

#1 Michael Jordan

The goat logo for the goat player. Debuting in 1988 it’s since evolved way past the game of basketball and sneakers to be a lifestyle brand across the world. Today, it’s the symbol for numerous athletes and athletic programs while being the logo that drives an absurd $1.6 billion net worth for Michael Jordan.

Take this personal sports logo quiz from ESPN and let’s see how much of an expert you are. I got a 93% and missed one question.