Today, almost every mega-star in the NBA has their own line of sneakers, and it’s a great source of side-revenue for these multimillionaire athletes. But perhaps none of them could have built wealth this way had the trailblazer Michael Jordan not paved his way first. He was the brand back during his peak.
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MJ feels that he has a lot to do with NBA athletes developing their own brands. Those who come immediately after him — the likes of Allen Iverson — followed in his footsteps. Today, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving have their own brands.
The reason behind this is simple. Money? Yes. But also to carve a ‘larger than the sport’ image, which Jordan became. And while not everyone will reach that status, it’s a journey that takes them towards the top. And for that Jordan wants some credit.
“Now it’s like a prerequisite: Everybody has to have a logo…I’m part of the reason why everybody tries to get a logo and brand but the thing is that brand established based on what I did on the basketball court,” Jordan said in an NBC interview.
That said, Jordan has some criticisms. He wants athletes the put in the work before deciding on making their brand famous. The likes of Curry and Durant may get a pass here, but there are also some ballers like LaMelo Ball, Klay Thompson, and Ja Morant who have their own lines.
The MJ logo was a result of him actually recreating that — although it was in practice — and not just some custom creation in the lab. “I didn’t put the brand before I put the work. I put the work first and then the brand evolved based on the work,” Jordan added.
“Generationally, I like to think that most of the time people will remember Michael Jordan based on what he did on the basketball court and not always the commercials that he did,” the Chicago Bulls icon concluded.
It’s advice that newer stars entering the league who dream of recreating the cultural impact Jordan had should take. At the end of the day, Jordan, Curry, Durant, Klay, and others will be remembered for their basketball far more than their brands. The brand exists to honor their careers; it does not define them.
