When we think of Michael Jordan, we often think of the greatest player of all-time. Whether or not you think he’s the best, you undoubtedly include him in the top tier of men to ever play the game. It is without question that what Jordan did for the league in the '90s was integral for the growth of the game.
And yet, Jordan’s post-basketball career hasn’t been so glamorous.
While it has been well-documented for years that Jordan wasn’t the nicest guy in the league, many were still shocked by his Hall of Fame speech.
What was supposed to be one of the most important and memorable moments in the history of the game, turned into a rather sour event for many people. His speech was not as graceful as some would have expected, with Jordan taking the time to take jabs at many people who were in the room to honor him.
As sports fans, we expect more from our greatest heroes. We don’t want pettiness. We want men who will rise above all that. That’s why they’re called heroes.
And now here we are in the middle of the NBA lockout and negotiations seem rather bleak. At first, there were many people who hoped that Jordan would provide a bridge between the two sides since he was a former player, but a current owner.
Once again it seemed that fans were hoping to see Jordan rise to the occasion and do something great for basketball. Now, it seems as though Jordan is leading the charge against compromise. While many things are still uncertain, if Jordan becomes the face of the owners who are forcing the continuation of this lockout, there could be serious damage to his image.
NBA fans are already growing very impatient with the current lockout and as more games are lost, the worse the backlash will be once a deal is eventually reached. A man like Michael Jordan, whose brand goes well beyond his Bobcats organization, perhaps ought to be careful during these negotiations.
After all, if the NBA season is cancelled and Jordan is at the center of it all, will people really still go out and buy Air Jordans?
In my opinion, Jordan’s legacy as a player will never be tainted by whatever he does in his days afterwards. However, I think that there is still plenty to lose for a man who has arguably the strongest brand name in sports.
If Jordan were smart, he would realize that many fans are beginning to develop a new opinion of who he is off the court, and that is an image he certainly does not want. Unfortunately, Jordan seems to be focused only on getting the best deal for the owners, whether he sacrifices the season or not.
I don’t think Jordan is concerned much with his brand image, but perhaps he should be.
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