Michael Jordan is renowned globally for being a serial winner on the basketball court. However, the Bulls icon also scored a massive win in the court of law but didn’t bother keeping the winnings.
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In 2009, Dominick’s Finer Foods posted an advertisement in Sports Illustrated magazine congratulating Jordan on his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Along with the greeting, the company offered a $2 discount coupon to readers. However, they used the six-time NBA champion’s likeness to run their promotional campaign without taking his permission.
Jordan filed a lawsuit and sought damages. The defendant’s attorneys argued that the company didn’t intend to leverage his status to run its campaign. They claimed they were proud of the Bulls icon’s achievements and only intended to congratulate him. However, the five-time MVP was adamant they had violated copyright rules. During one of the hearings, Jordan told reporters,
“I’m so used to playing on a different court. This shows I will protect my name to the fullest… It’s my name and I worked hard for it … and I’m not just going to let someone take it.”
His attorneys had estimated that a single use of his name is worth around $10 million. The defense contested that claim and argued that the damages didn’t amount to more than $126,900. However, their pleas went unheard and Jordan was awarded $8.9 million in reparations.
Upon receiving the paycheck, he donated it to charities across Chicago and said it was never about money but protecting his image and likeness. Six years after that win, Jordan is back in the court of law seeking another victory.
Michael Jordan’s NASCAR lawsuit
Jordan’s 23XI Racing, co-founded by Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk, and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports have raised concerns over NASCAR’s anticompetitive practices and filed an antitrust lawsuit. They claim that the brand’s CEO Jim France is trying to gain monopolistic control over the sport.
The two teams believe NASCAR’s business model is unfair to teams, drivers, and sponsors. In the lawsuit, they claimed that the executives’ ideology is why teams struggle to make reasonable profits. A joint statement from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports read,
“Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans.”
Their demand is for a “more competitive and fair system where teams, drivers, and sponsors can be rewarded for our collective investment by building long-term enterprise value.” They cited other successful professional sports leagues as an example of what they were looking for from NASCAR. It’s a legal battle that could alter the landscape of the sport and Jordan is leading the charge.
