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The greatest of all time, a title given out to athletes who don’t just excel but transcend their sport. The title is often contested and ever changing but one thing is certain: a G.O.A.T. isn’t just a player. The story of Micheal Jordan's ascension to greatness is nothing new in the media and yet every story only just scratches the surface. The esteemed player didn’t just excel on the court, he didn’t just become the first player to get market share, and he didn’t just change the sneaker market, he ushered in a new era of not just basketball but of athletes. Micheal Jordan isn’t just an athlete he’s a brand who forever changed the game. With every trail blazer comes a trail to follow and his has quickly become the only path to follow.
In today's media market where press is best it is no longer an added bonus but rather a near requirement to build a brand around yourself. But the wide world of sports wasn’t always like this. Taking it all the way back to pre-Jordan we see a much clearer line between brand and baller. Athletes were partnered with brands but never saw a cut of the profit and rarely had items dedicated or named after them. When Nike made the first Air Jordans it was an absolute game changer. Never before had an athlete's name reached so far outside of the sports influence sphere. Nowadays it’s difficult to find a top ranked player without some kind of independent brand or greater reach. It seems the wider the reach the better ranked the athlete becomes. This is in part due to the fact that an athlete having a personal “brand” benefits teams. Teams get more sales on tickets and merchandise when they have a major household name. This increase in press and ticket sales makes teams more inclined to sign a player even if they’re past their prime. The brand they’ve built not only extends their career but also sustains them long past retirement. By playing an excellent game, building an image, and capitalizing on it Micheal Jordan has changed the way teams, fans, and companies treat pro athletes.
There is a clear shift in professional players but for something to be a true shift in the norm and not simply a new trend it has to expand beyond just the highest levels and in 2021 it officially did. In 2021 the NCAA ruled college players finally have rights to their own image. After decades of scandal and wide scale protest they can now make money by use of their likeness, autographs, and merchandising. This ruling solidified the new era in sports. The need for a brand has become so integral to an athlete’s success and legacy that the building process must begin before they even play professionally. Setting up a foundation early allows athletes to gain an advantage when signing with teams. It also gives them a greater responsibility to watch their actions off the court. By having financial skin in the game athletes are greatly impacted by their choices. This creates a stronger incentive to build a positive persona, one known not just for winning but for respect. For a lot of athletes college and professional this shift has been positive yet for some the pressure with responsibility that comes both on and off the court was too much. Even with these cases the sports world now requires a player to become more than an individual for greatness. An individual plays a brand pays.
The most obvious answer to becoming a brand is to simply excel however this is deceiving. Countless athletes excel and yet are seldom recognised. Talent is just the price of admission. A player's actions, wins, and marketing are all huge pieces of how to become more than just a player. Building a brand is more than just tagging your name onto a product there has to be a point of difference.
Athletes often dance the line of celebrity, they are above an average person and yet many find fame from they’re relation to the everyday person. Being able to look at a screen and see a professional player doing seemingly normal tasks gives people a parasocial connection and a sense of solidarity. This reliance on the parasocial relationship so many have can and does breed a strong career but it will never memorialize a person. For that and to truly build a brand players must completely cross that line into celebrity. By elevating themselves they make anything attached to them a style need. They set and sell the standard. Jordan executed this by creating something that didn’t previously exist, a customized shoe. However there are countless other ways to build a brand. Every method starts the same; success on the court.
Arguably one of the greatest players of all time with a record breaking 38,652 career points, LeBron James isn’t just a playmaker on the court. The ex-player is the owner of five businesses including his own production company, The SpringHill Company, aside from his businesses he built his brand through sheer marketing genius. What company doesn’t want a star NBA player as the face of their new product? None, the use of famous figures has always been a favorite of large companies and yet few athletes seem to truly take advantage of this fact. Mr. James is not one of these athletes, since his NBA debut in 2003 he has partnered with household names like Nike, Coca-Cola, Kia Motors, and Beats. These partnerships help to build both parties' brands as they expand a player's reach beyond simply fans. To become more than a player one has to do more than just play and that’s exactly what LeBron did. His strategy of marketing and becoming a business owner differs from Jordan and this is what makes it so successful. The best way to follow a trail blazers path is to walk beside it. Between on court talent and off court strategy LeBron James will go down with Jordan as an all time great.
Both players used the status and fame achieved by their on the court performance to build a persona of excellence. When they dominate on the court they become associated with success and so long as they stay out of trouble off the court (for the most part) they become the very embodiment of what everyone wants to be; a champion. Winners are celebrated but champions are forever immortalized through their actions and achievements. The creation of a new kind of champion, one that exists as something more than an individual is an undeniable part of Micheal Jordan's legacy. He left a profound impact on not just basketball but the world of sports in a way best described as the Jordan effect.
