Home Staff Ed Easton Jr. Mr. Brand Name

Mr. Brand Name

Today’s athlete seems to have two goals while entering their professional field or court of play and it all centers around money. The master of this entrepreneur-athlete movement has and seemingly will always be Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan was a 5 time NBA Most Valuable Player during his illustrious career on the hardwood garnering 6 championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan’s wins on the court were only half of his greatness as the many sponsorships and business partnerships he has garnered over the years has made him an cultural icon. Jordan as a young star in the league took a chance by signing an exclusive deal with then little known sneaker company Nike that gave him the rare opportunity to design his own sneaker. This seemingly small deal has blown into an global enterprise worth millions of dollars and has captivated people around the world as being the only sneaker that matters a pair of Jordan’s.

Hanes V Neck Commercial

Other than Nike Jordan has been the face of numerous brands such as Gatorade,Coca-Cola,Chevrolet,Gatorade,McDonalds,Ball Park Franks,Rayovac,Wheaties,Hanes and MCI. His name symbolized greatness for not only his great exploits on the court but his seemingly perfect attitude off of it making him beloved by children and parents whether they were basketball fans or not. Jordan showed his like-ability by appearing in campaigns with children singing about him called Like Mike and starring in the 1996 live action animated film Space Jam opposite Bugs Bunny.

Like Mike Commercial

Each appearance led to more money off the court than on for the superstar who in 2001 with the Washington Wizards donated his year’s salary to the September 11th recovery fund. Jordan was more than just a player that year for the Wizards he also served as their VP of Basketball Operations and playing a major role in the organization’s shaping. He would later go on to take majority control of the Charlotte Bobcats and is currently the owner today.

Jordan’s company has enlisted players such as Carmelo Anthony in wearing his apparell and promoting his brand to a new generation of fans. Brand Jordan has reportedly earned 55 million dollars between June 2009 and June 2010 and over time has generated 1 billion dollars in sales for Nike.

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” was a quote by Jordan before his second comeback to the NBA. It’s interesting how that same declaration relates to an important business trait of determination and confidence all of which have made him a winner on and off the court.

Ed is a graduate of SUNY College At Old Westbury. He is currently the New York Knicks Beat Writer for Hoops Habit. Ed also works for MLB Advanced Media and CBS Radio's "1010 WINS" in New York City. He is the founder of Keeping It Real Sports LLC

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