What Is Basketball Without Michael Jordan Essay

, Research Paper

What is Basketball without Michael Jordan

When someone says the name Michael Jordan, the first thing that might come to mind is basketball, Nike shoes, or Wheaties. Through the years Michael Jordan has proved time and time again that he is the greatest basketball player ever and by doing that he has gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. People of all ages and from all nationalities have gathered to watch him play. Even your Aunt Matilda, who might not know anything about basketball, liked watching him play, said Daniel. He has become more than just an entertainer, he is a hero and a role model. It has been said He s the most famous American in the World (Daniel.)

After winning his sixth National Basketball Association Championship, Michael Jordan has decided to walk away from the world of basketball for the second time in his life. Why would the greatest player to ever play the game leave at the highest point of his career. He claims the sport is no longer a challenge to him. After his many awards, trophies and titles this is not hard to comprehend. At this time in his life, Jordan wants to devote all of his time to his friends and family. Now that he has left the world of basketball a great void has been left. Many questions have rose as to what is going to happen now that he s gone. What will happen with the NBA. What will happen to the Chicago Bulls dynasty. Who will be the next Michael Jordan. Could there ever be another Michael Jordan.

The first thing any sane person would ask is how could Jordan leave basketball and walk away from all of that money. Last year he was the highest paid basketball player in NBA history. But in dollar terms, Jordan was even more successful as a corporate spokesman, which earned him $45 million in 1998, than he was on the basketball court in which he earned $35 million. (Peyser.) Jordan currently does endorsements for thirteen companies. Out of all the companies, Nike pays the most for his endorsements at $16 million per year.

Jordan is by far the best endorser out there in the market. Many of the celebrities can t compare to Jordan. He s handsome, articulate, classy. He had purity to his performance on court and off. It s hard to find the perfect celebrity these days, said Peyser. With such slogans as Be Like Mike and It s gotta be the shoes, companies have attempted to make consumers believe that if they buy their products they too can be as great as Michael Jordan.

Now that Jordan has left the NBA, many are speculating on how well his endorsements will do. Experts say that a retired athlete even Jordan can t compete with a guy who s still winning championships. With the sports-marketing business already in a slump, there may be no heirs to Air Jordan (Peyser.) Even though Jordan has left the basketball court, he s not going to leave Hollywood anytime soon. There are plans being made to have Jordan star in at least two films but this time he will be acting with a real cast as apposed to the cartoon cast he starred with in Space Jam. He should play a character like James Bond, suggests movie critic Gene Siskel, a rabid Bulls fan. I d pay to see him before Pierce Brosnan any day, wouldn t you.

Michael Jordan has made a huge impact on the NBA. He has won six NBA championships in the last eight years, ten scoring titles, enough Most Valuable Player awards to stock his own wing at the Hall of Fame, said Tresniowski. He is by far the greatest player to ever play the game. Many believe the NBA would not be where it is without him and now that he s gone many can t imagine basketball without him. Everyone is wondering, if there ever be another Michael Jordan. The chance of someone accomplishing the same great feats as Jordan is nearly impossible in today s NBA. But that doesn t mean it won t happen. When Julius Erving left the league many people were asking the same questions. Will there ever be another Dr. J.. Jordan came along, and the rest is history.

Ever since the baseball strike the NBA has tremendously gained in popularity, at one time many Americans where questioning, should basketball be the nation s new past time. Lately, this attitude towards baseball has changed. Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa have brought the life back to baseball with the breaking of the home run record. With the NBA labor lockout that has canceled most of this season and now that Jordan has left the future of the NBA is yet to be determined. The outlook doesn t look good. With fear of a season cancellation due to bickering over money, many fans have turned away from NBA basketball in disgust. The NBA s image has become tarnished.

Today s NBA is nothing like how it was when Jordan came into the league. There is a new breed of players out there. Instead of the rising stars attending college, they are making the jump from high school straight to the NBA. Kobe Bryant is a prime example of this. The major difference between the stars of today and the superstars of yesterday is that many of today s stars don t even earn the right to be called stars. Glenn Robinson, now of the Milwaukee Bucks, was asking for a $100 million contract when he came out of Purdue, yet today he is barely worth $1 million. You don t ever want to say never , Starr says, but I don t think the NBA will ever again attain the glory it did with Michael.

Even though Jordan was great, we cannot forge