MJ

Michael Jordan turns 50 in only a couple days now and even when he’s out of the game he is getting worldwide attention, just for his birthday. Michael Jordan changed the face of basketball, the shoe market, and advertisement. Before Michael Jordan you would never hear of athletes singing with companies. As a 50 year old retired from playing he still makes a little over $80 million a year. He owns a N.B.A team in Charlotte and let’s not forget about the famous shoe line Jordan’s.  The way Nike marketed Michael Jordan and the era he came into was perfect. Originally Jordan wanted to sign with addidas but they denied him when Nike offered him a contract he jumped on it. Giving Nike an amazing profit Jordan wasn’t only the face of the bulls, and the NBA, but he was also the face of Nike. Addidas later found Allen Iverson and tried to follow what Nike did with Jordan, but it didn’t work nearly as well. Sports marketing companies now recruit people to sign with their businesses instead of the players coming to them. Some of the bigger companies start with kids that are in high school. Let’s face it Michael Jordan changed the way sports were perceived in this country and he helped grab the attention of every marketing agency. He was an amazing athlete, a great basketball player, and one of the best in the world at marketing himself. Retired from the game and still making $80 million a year doesn’t sound so bad to me.