Phelps Endorsements: Michael Phelps Conquered the Olympics,

Phelps wants to be like Mike IN CHICAGO | Swimming star hopes to expand sport, follow in MJ's very profitable shoes September 3, 2008 BY ANDREW HERRMANN Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps may be the king of the water, but the guy he looks up to made his mark in the air. Phelps, in Chicago today for appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and to boost local efforts to host the 2016 Olympics, said Tuesday he wants to pattern his post-Games career on Michael Jordan. "What did for the sport of basketball, hopefully I can learn from him a little bit and take what he did and put it into swimming,'' Phelps told Bloomberg Radio. Phelps, who won eight gold medals in Beijing, said he has been a longtime fan of Jordan because of the way Jordan changed basketball -- and marketing -- while playing for the Chicago Bulls. Though retired since 2003, Jordan still makes $45 million a year, according to Forbes magazine. Much of that comes in royalties from the $800 million a year in sales for Nike's Jordan brand shoes and apparel. Tuesday, the 23-year-old Phelps picked up a $1 million bonus from Speedo -- and announced he will devote part of that to a foundation aimed at expanding swimming. "I'm trying to really grow the sport of swimming and take it to a new level," Phelps said on NBC's "Today" show. For Phelps, swimming not only brought him financial wealth but also mental health. The breakup of his parents' marriage helped push him into the pool. "I started swimming around the time my dad was leaving us. I was 7 and I didn't understand what was going on. One day I got in the water and I just felt at home. My troubles slipped away; it was as if I disappeared," he told London's Evening Standard last week. "Taking up swimming gave me a sense of focus that transformed my life."

Phelps wants to be like Mike IN CHICAGO | Swimming star hopes to expand sport, follow in MJ's very profitable shoes September 3, 2008 BY ANDREW HERRMANN Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps may be the king of the water, but the guy he looks up to made his mark in the air. Phelps, in Chicago today for appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and to boost local efforts to host the 2016 Olympics, said Tuesday he wants to pattern his post-Games career on Michael Jordan. "What did for the sport of basketball, hopefully I can learn from him a little bit and take what he did and put it into swimming,'' Phelps told Bloomberg Radio. Phelps, who won eight gold medals in Beijing, said he has been a longtime fan of Jordan because of the way Jordan changed basketball -- and marketing -- while playing for the Chicago Bulls. Though retired since 2003, Jordan still makes $45 million a year, according to Forbes magazine. Much of that comes in royalties from the $800 million a year in sales for Nike's Jordan brand shoes and apparel. Tuesday, the 23-year-old Phelps picked up a $1 million bonus from Speedo -- and announced he will devote part of that to a foundation aimed at expanding swimming. "I'm trying to really grow the sport of swimming and take it to a new level," Phelps said on NBC's "Today" show. For Phelps, swimming not only brought him financial wealth but also mental health. The breakup of his parents' marriage helped push him into the pool. "I started swimming around the time my dad was leaving us. I was 7 and I didn't understand what was going on. One day I got in the water and I just felt at home. My troubles slipped away; it was as if I disappeared," he told London's Evening Standard last week. "Taking up swimming gave me a sense of focus that transformed my life."