Michael Jordan Entrepreneur

Michael Jordan is arguable the best basketball player who ever played the game. A phenomenal athlete with the unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar. The thing that separated Jordan from the rest of the all-time greats was his compulsive need to win. Jordan was and is still known for his intense competitiveness and will to win, but that has not translated to his ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Athletic footwear cannot be designed to cater to a large group as in general. It has to produceits products with a distinct difference keeping in mind the age groups or usage groups it isintending to target.

Nike, Inc. sought professional athletes to endorse their athletic shoes and in 1985 contracted with Michael Jordan. Michael's success in sports and his endorsement of a personalized Nike brand brought in over $100 million in the first year (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Nike has continued to market successfully with their "Just Do it" campaign and their targeting women athletes.

The revolutionary marketing campaign surrounding the unproven rookie was considered very urban for the time. During Nike’s early years, they had a difficult time pushing sales for their brand new athletic sneakers filled with air. This all changed seemingly overnight when the young Jordan took the basketball world by storm, dominating the opposition night in and night out. The Air Jordan I launched in 1985 in a black and red colorway to match the uniform of the Chicago Bulls. For $80, people could purchase a pair and experience what Nike called “human flight”. To add even more to the Nike and Jordan craze, the Jordan I failed to meet the National Basketball Association’s sneaker color standards at the time, due to a lack of white color. Jordan refused to stop wearing his own shoe, and the NBA began to fine him $5,000 per game that he wore the shoe. Because of Michael’s outstanding performance on the court, the Jordan I was flying off the shelves, selling out at almost every major retailer. These sales were more than enough for Nike, so they began to pay off the fines from the NBA. Then, the greatest sports ban in history took effect. On October 18th, 1985, the NBA officially banned the Nike Air Jordan I from the league, making it illegal to wear them for play. What was thought to be the death of the sneaker was the complete opposite. Nike pushed back

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all time because he won 6 championship rings and 32,292 points during his career.(World Book)Did you know that Michael Jeffrey Jordan was the best basketball player in the NBA.(World Book) Jordan’s accomplishments was that he scored 32,292 points during his first season of playing the Bulls(World Book) The second accomplishment is that Jordan average 30.12 points per game.(World Book) The third accomplishment was that Jordan became known as Air Jordan because of his gravity defying leaps.(World Book)The last accomplishment that Jordan has is that Jordan led the NBA scoring average for a record of 10 seasons including the 7 consecutive seasons beginning with the season of 1986-1987.(World Book)

Michael Jordan constantly showed his greatness, persistence, hard-work and dedication throughout his career. Jordan averaged about 28.2 points per game in the beginning of his basketball career. Article restates “limits, like fear, are often an illusion” (Jordan). Michael Jordan had to put fear to aside while playing basketball in order to be the best in the game. Being a new face in the league and already reaching those kinds of standards made him one of the most

Have you ever heard of Michael Jordan? If you haven't, you need to. He is one of the greatest basketball legends. Jordan has won many awards. Michael Jordan is an influential person because of his determination and hard work, his basketball career, his many MVP awards, and his determination to overcome his childhood struggles.

After he graduated from high school, he decided to go and play for the University of North Carolina Where he was a big star and won a championship title with a last two-second shot. He was nominated player of the year. He then was drafted to the Chicago Bulls, where he had a long list of outstanding accomplishments.

Michael jordan is the best basketball player of all time. He won 6 NBA championships. He won the most defensive player of the year and a lot of other rewards.

Jordan’s impact in the NBA ( National Basketball association) was legendary because he would score forty or more points seven times. In his rookie year he was crowned

Michael Jordan entered the NBA in 1984 as a third overall pick. Leaving college early to pursue his career, Jordan was picked up by the bulls, one of the worst teams in the league. Michael had received Rookie of the year and helped the Bulls reach the playoffs. Michael grew up playing many sports, but his two favorite were basketball and baseball. In high school, he tried out for the boys varsity basketball team. He did not make varsity but got bumped down to Junior Varsity. He has influenced the lives of many around the world by his fashion, his kind heart, and the influence of the world around him.

He Gained power and influenced a world of youth through numerous forms on national level coverage. Michael Jordan continues to be a social influence. The Jordan shoe continues to sell at alarming rates when there is a release date for a Retro Jordan. These shoes continue to sell because of his social influence. There was a time when we saw Michael play in those shoes, and now the Jordan shoe brand has not only solidified itself in the game of basketball, but now it is found in almost every major sport. Michael Jordan currently sponsors 21 active NBA players, including Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and Carmelo Anthony. These players also endorse Jordan Brand products. The Jordan brand is also sponsored in the WNBA. The Jordan brand is not just for basketball anymore. The shoes are sponsored in other leagues such as the MLB, NFL and NASCAR. The brand has also weaved its way into the sport of boxing with one of the most notable sponsors being Roy Jones Jr. Transcending from a shoe and clothing brand. Again he displays his power to influence without being in the room. Michael Jordan has the ability to inspire followers with devotion and enthusiasm. As stated in Whetten and Carmeon (2011).

The use of specific athletes in marketing campaigns really began to show promise when athletes like Jordan began wearing their own brands of shoes. The idea to consumers or fans of the NBA that they could wear the same shoes as Michael Jordan, and somehow play like him was an easy sell by Nike. Today it is now common for marketable athletes in almost all sports to wear their own style of shoes, spikes, or skates. An interesting point to make is that through Nike Michael Jordan eventually launched his own clothing line called Jumpman23 that makes everything from socks and underwear to winter coats. Even though Jordan has been retired since 1999 the Jumpman23 company has continued to release a new shoe every single year that are simply called “Jordan 24”, an increasing corresponding number to the number of years the shoes have been produced. The new Jordan shoes still retails at over $150 a pair even though Mike hasn’t stepped on the court in 11 years! After retirement and becoming the CEO of the Jumpman brand Michael Jordan has been able to court other famous athletes from a variety of sports to wear his brand. A few examples of the athletes include Derek Jeter (baseball), Dwayne Wade (basketball), Jason Taylor (football), and April Holmes (track and field). The wide range of athletes in all different sports who now market a brand for arguably the greatest athlete of all time truly shows the money, power, and influence an athlete can experience

Also sport has been emphasized a lot lately as recreational activities to promote healthy life. Product segmentation could also create new market segments within the existing ones. For example, running shoes designed especially for rough surfaces or mountain terrains, or with reinforced ankle protection, or with some added features such as anti-bacterial insole.

Adidas is also targeting a certain class of people, that is women by launching under the idea that the “collection is for women who take their sport and their style seriously” and that