Basketball HOFer Michael Jordan yesterday "confidently testified in a trial of his lawsuit against defunct supermarket chain Dominick's" over an '09 ad, using a "soft but determined voice" in speaking to jurors, according to a front-page piece by Kim Janssen of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Jordan said, "I didn't do deals for anything less than $10 million. I have the final say-so with everything that involves my name and my likeness ... there's no decision that happens without my final approval." He said that he brought the case "to protect my likeness, my image -- something that I value very preciously." Jordan testified that he "took protecting his brand so seriously that he recently turned down" an $80M offer to "endorse a line of headphones." He said that he "would never have agreed to a deal with Dominick's for their ad, which contained the words 'Michael Jordan ... you are a cut above,' and included a $2 off coupon for Rancher's Reserve steaks." Jordan: "I felt like it was a misuse of my likeness, my name. ... It didn't fit the strategy we operated on." Janssen notes Jordan last year "made in excess" of $100M (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/19). Jordan testified that he "doesn't do single ads." The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Hackman & Peters note the court case "is providing a glimpse into the inner workings of the Jordan brand and how its value has grown" since his retirement in '03 (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/19).
THE KING AND I: ESPN’s Skip Bayless noted Jordan endorses Hanes, Gatorade, Upper Deck and 2K Sports, while Cavaliers F LeBron James' deals include Nike, Coca-Cola, Kia, Beats By Dre, McDonald's, Powerade, Upper Deck, Dunkin' Donuts and Samsung. However, Jordan is still making more money in endorsements. Bayless said of James, "He is the biggest endorser in all of sports to me. ... When I look at all those endorsements, it would seem that those on balance would add up to a little more income than the iconic Air Jordan brings in to Michael." ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said, "It doesn’t surprise me at all because you also have to take into account résumé. When I think about Michael Jordan, I think six titles, I think unblemished in an NBA Finals." Smith added, "You have to consider the fact that 90% of Jordan’s business is retro. You’ve got kids who have never seen him play still wearing his shoes and what have you, because obviously he got his own brand from Nike, whereas LeBron, he gets about 10% of all of his business" ("First Take," ESPN2, 8/18).
