Via Flickr
Michael Jordan's profits are soaring like the '88 Dunk Contest
On the court or in the courtroom, Michael Jordan's supreme confidence and staggering wealth have been in the headlines this past week. After LeBron James stated he could beat Jordan in his prime, MJ responded with a firm no. In a U.S. District Court case against closed grocery chain Dominick's, we learned that Michael doesn't "do deals for anything less than $10 million."
The case against Dominick's is a curious one. In 2009, the Chicago subsidiary of Safeway used Jordan's name and jersey number in an ad and coupon that promised $2 off steak. Now, Jordan is suing the shuttered store for $10 million in damages for using his likeness without permission.
The case also shines a light on the immense wealth of basketball's most famous star. Between 2000 and 2012, Jordan made $480 million from his Nike deal alone. In 2012, Jordan earned $75 million in endorsements, more branding cash than any active athlete in the world.
Though the financial details of the Spurs' H-E-B commercials isn't public, we do know the team's annual salary. Combined, all 16 players on the Spurs roster make a total of $87,691,775, just $12.6 million more than Jordan's branding deals. Of that $87 million and change, the starting five makes $64,784,000.
It's good to be the G.O.A.T.
