Michael Jordan : biography
During the 2011 NBA lockout, The New York Times wrote that Jordan led a group of 10 to 14 hardline owners wanting to cap the players’ share of basketball-related income at 50 percent and as low as 47. Journalists observed that, during the labor dispute in 1998, Jordan had told Washington Wizards then-owner Abe Pollin, "If you can’t make a profit, you should sell your team." Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com called Jordan a "sellout" wanting "current players to pay for his incompetence." He cited Jordan’s executive decisions to draft disappointing players Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison.
During the 2011–12 NBA season, which was shortened to 66 games, the Bobcats posted a 7–59 record. Their .106 winning percentage was the worst in NBA history. "I’m not real happy about the record book scenario last year. It’s very, very frustrating," Jordan said later that year.
Media figure and business interests
Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI.Rovell, Darren. , ESPN, February 17, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2007. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.Vancil, Mark. , Hoop Magazine, December 1991. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. One of Jordan’s more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan’s abilities and became convinced that "it’s gotta be the shoes". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers., Forbes. Retrieved February 23, 2007., nike.com. Retrieved June 9, 2008. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cal, St. John’s, Georgetown, and North Carolina A&T.
Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball against a group of Martian characters.Sandomir, Richard. , The New York Times, January 31, 1993, February 11, 2009. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during his first retirement.Porter, David L. , Greenwood Publishing Group 2007. ISBN 0-313-33767-5 They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.
Jordan’s yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over forty million dollars., Redenbach, Andrew. Cyber-Journal of Sport Marketing, February 2, 2009, Forbes. Retrieved February 16, 2009. In addition, when Jordan’s power at the ticket gates was at its highest point the Bulls regularly sold out every game they played in, whether home or away.Rovell, Darren. , ESPN, April 15, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2007. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of US $30 million per season., Jet Magazine, September 15, 1997, available at findarticles.com. Retrieved May 9, 2008. An academic study found that Jordan’s first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.Mathur, Lynette Knowles, Ike Mathur and Nanda Rangan. "The Wealth Effects Associated with a Celebrity Endorser: The Michael Jordan Phenomenon." Journal of Advertising Research, May, 67–73, 1997.
