ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies and describes differences between a sport hero and sport celebrity. It provides examples of athletes who are celebrities but not sporting heroes. In the chapter is also a model that demonstrates how heroes and celebrities emerge over time and the role of the media in that emergence. The chapter shows that sport celebrity endorsement improves financial and product image. Additionally, it shows that there is a risk in celebrity endorsement and how such a risk may be ameliorated. The final section of the chapter provides examples of celebrity athletes, describing how they became a celebrity.
