“Guys are making $300-$400 million because of Michael Jordan”: Charles Barkley explains how Bulls legend has changed the game for commercial success for shoes

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was a game changer on the court with the way he dominated opponents, but Charles Barkley also explained how he changed the game off of it.

The Bulls legend has compiled an incredible list of stories from his playing days in the NBA, from elite level trash talking, to incredible tales of how wildly competitive he was, to of course, his general basketball dominance.

All these things combined have given Jordan his GOAT status. His accolades, championships, and struggles are all remembered side by side with the stories of how he reached there.

The Bulls legend has accomplished what NBA players dream of doing in his career. Six championships, six Finals MVP’s, five NBA MVP’s, an obvious Hall of Fame induction, and much more has cemented Jordan’s legacy as the greatest NBA player of all time.

So, why was his career so confusing? Well, he retired thrice in his career, to give you some context. If that sounds weird to you, that’s because it is. His first retirement was by far the most surprising as it came only nine years into his career, and he had just started to win at the highest level, coming off of his first threepeat.

Also Read: “You have NO friends on the court, LeBron James!”: When Tracy McGrady gave the teenage King essential advice, during his high school days

Charles Barkley explains how Michael Jordan has made a lot of athletes a lot of money

Jordan made a lot of money during his playing days, but he was also focused on expanding his business and making money off the court. The first thing he started with was his shoe business.

The Jordan brand is one of the most recognizable shoes ever, and the Air Jordan 1s are etched into history as a groundbreaking shoe in terms of its sale value and popularity.

Charles Barkley put Jordan’s impact into words in the perfect way. “Michael did two things; where I always tell people I think he’s the GOAT,” Barkley admitted. “Number one, the shoe thing. Nobody was making money off shoes before Michael. Now guys are all making three-four hundred million dollars a year because of Michael. Well, a couple of guys are making that much, but that’s because of Michael.”

“Then, secondly, we all got commercials. Nobody made commercials before Michael Jordan came along, so Magic Bird and Michaell to me, man, I thank those guys for me never having to get a real job. It means a lot to me; those three guys.”

It’s estimated that the Nike Jordan brand is worth $3 billion with Michael Jordan earning about $1.3 billion of that insane sum. So, yes, Jordan was a trailblazer in the NBA, but he was also a trailblazer off the court.

Also Read: “Youngest NBA champion Darko Milicic was somehow picked over Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony”: Why the Pistons chose to draft foreign NBA star over future NBA Hall of Famers

Post Edited By: Ashish Priyadarshi
Charles Barkley Michael Jordan NBA

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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