Global Basketball Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Makes First Brand Investment, Joins Ready® Nutrition

PITTSBURGH, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Ready Nutrition (@ready_nutrition), one of the fastest growing sports nutrition companies in America, today announced that professional basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo (@giannis_an34) has chosen to make his first brand investment with the Company, giving him an ownership stake and creative input at multiple levels of the Company's business, along with an exclusive endorsement and community role with the brand's Ready Water and other sports nutrition products. He joins Founder and President, Pat Cavanaugh, former University of Pittsburgh basketball team captain, and professional football star Aaron Donald as a co-owner.

The superstar forward and reigning MVP has been using Ready Water for almost two years and has always considered the Company's products to be a strong match for his own drive for excellence. When he and Cavanaugh realized that the Company's mission was also aligned with Antetokounmpo's personal commitment to making a difference in the world around him, it was an easy decision to join forces as teammates, partners and co-owners.

Antetokounmpo, who like Cavanaugh and Donald is known for his strict workout and nutrition regimens, will focus on youth and high school athlete platforms such as Ready's Mobile Training Table Program and Ready Talks with Giannis; giving advice and inspiration to athletes, including Ready Product donations to select youth and high school programs in the United States and abroad.

As one of Giannis's first initiatives at the Company, Milwaukee Public School students will receive 34,000 bottles of Ready Water and 34,000 Ready Protein Bars to be included with their daily meal program. There will also be an additional 34,000 bottles of Ready Water donated to Milwaukee area healthcare workers to support their efforts.

Ready Water is an all-natural, premium sports hydration drink featuring 15 grams of Protein, NO Sugar and 5 natural Electrolytes that is available across a large, rapidly expanding North America distribution network -- the most recent additions include Walmart locations in 20 states as well as more than 100 H-E-B stores – and is also quickly expanding into European and Asian countries, which will be one of Antetokounmpo's areas of particular focus.

"We are proud to have Giannis join our company as a teammate and co-owner in a role that will touch so many areas; from product development to cause marketing, community relations and consumer engagement through our retail partners both on-line and in store," said Cavanaugh. "As hard a worker as Giannis is, he is equally an engaged and caring person; most importantly always trying to get better and helping others get better. He's our kind of guy. We are looking forward to combining our thoughts, interests and activities as we grow together and build a unique, global sports nutrition brand."

"We have been presented with many, many brand opportunities over the past couple years; some from very large, well-known brands but I have found very few where I believed in the products," Antetokounmpo said. "I have to believe in the product. I use and believe in Ready's Products.

"It's also important for me to believe in the mission of the company; and Pat and Ready's vision match my interests in health and nutrition. For me to get involved with the company at this level and build something special -- it will give me the chance to learn and make an impact on a global level, not just here in the U.S. This fits everything I was looking for."

In addition to these initiatives, Antetokounmpo will be involved in all areas of product development and design as his schedule permits and will be featured in Consumer Retail Promotions in both leading on-line and traditional retailers in North America, Europe, Asia and India. A percentage of sales will be donated in Ready Products to scholastic teams in need in all 30 NBA Cities, as well teams and clubs in Greece, Nigeria, Ireland, India and China.

Antetokounmpo will also help Ready Nutrition bring its Mobile Training Tables to all 30 NBA Cities, where Ready nutritionists will give athletes demonstrations on food prep and performance foods, a digital "Ready Talks with Giannis" interactive program where Antetokounmpo will engage in real time with students from around the globe, and an "I'm Ready Coach" community platform for Competitive Young Athletes to interact amongst themselves and share questions, tips and information.

All of this programming and activity is focused on achieving a key Ready goal: helping one million athletes achieve one ambitious stretch goal they set for themselves by 2025.

About Ready Nutrition (http://www.teamready.com)
Ready Nutrition was founded in 2012 by former University of Pittsburgh basketball team captain and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Hall of Fame member, Pat Cavanaugh. Ready is a fast-growing sports nutrition company that specializes in supporting athletes achieving their goals with all-natural sports nutrition products. The company's products include their best in-class protein waters, sports drinks, protein and snack bars, protein powders and plant based functional snacks. Its products are currently available in over 8,000 retail outlets across North America. Over 200 college and university athletic programs provide their student-athletes with Ready products and the brand is the Official Sports Nutrition Brand of four NCAA Division 1 Conferences. Two-time, pro football Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald, is an investor and owner in the company. Ready has also been chosen as the Official Sports Drink of The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the largest athletic organization in the United States with over 700,000 athletes that compete in 41 sports.

SOURCE Ready® Nutrition