With the rise of NFT’s, athletes are launching their own digital collectibles to further boost profits.

These athlete NFT’s are separate from team or league NFT’s and are self-funded by the athlete.

NBL superstars, LeBron James and Zion Williamson have offered NFT’s which have sold for over USD$100,000 (AUD$137,855).

James’ NFT featured a clip of him reverse-windmilling a dunk at the Staples Centre, while Williamson’s features a video of him blocking an opposing shot, sending the ball into the stands at the Smoothie King Centre.

Athlete NFT’s are also gaining popularity at a college level, with the University of Alabama’s quarterback, Bryce Young, selling exclusive NFT’S for USD$477 (AUD$658).

California NFT Pro CEO, Christian Ferri, said: “People are going to get physical memorabilia with a NFT and that would guarantee the authenticity and the digital scarcity of it.”

While many people are buying NFT’s to support their favourite team, others are purchasing NFT’s for future investment.

However, buying NFT’s as an investment can be risky as it is hard to predict whether a sport NFT will grow more valuable.

Sport NFT’s are not predicted to grow much in value, unless leagues like the NBA and NFL give fans exclusive experiences attached to certain NFT’s.

For more on the value of NFT’s see Where Does the True Value Lie in NFT’s? exclusive to Ministry of Sport.