Being a celebrity requires a bit of narcissism. That goes ten-fold for professional athletes who are paid to perform in front of millions of people. Fans draw and paint athletes' images like holy figures, and the really great ones get statues and sculptures made in the honor. It can all be really overwhelming...but it can also be awesome.
There is nothing wrong with loving the attention from adoring fans. Now that we're in the age of social media, fans can interact with their favorite athletes and share their fan art with them, and the athletes have the option to give their stamps of approval. Here's A Brief History of Athletes Co-Signing Art Inspired by Themselves, either by retweeting, regraming, posing with, or buying the work from the artists themselves.