Jordan paved the way for LeBron to be “closer to owning himself”. Jordan’s original Nike deal was weak by today’s standards but athletes weren’t signing $90 million dollar footwear deals in ‘84. Just look at Nike’s numbers compared to recent years.
Revenue
1984- $919 million
2018- $36 billion
We all know how much that guy who doesn’t own himself contributed to Nike’s massive growth.
In addition, the NBA was not the globally successful league in 1984 that we now know today. Again, I think that guy who doesn’t own himself, unlike LeBron, contributed to the NBA’s global expansion.
It would be difficult to argue against the thought that Jordan made Nike, the NBA and really the athletic footwear industry as a whole, what they are today. Sure, their respective marketing teams played a huge part but they wouldn’t have had their main icon to market without Jordan and his game. So you’re saying a guy that’s worth nearly $2 billion doesn’t “own himself”?
Personally, I’d say it’s far more impressive to change the economics and reach of a professional sports league, a global athletic brand and really an entire industry than to just stroll into them in ‘03 with the table set and no additional work needed.