Michael Jordan

Natalie Laura

05/04/2012

Mr. Abe Daubi

Week 4 Reflection Essay: Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan is one of the most known basketball players throughout the US and is arguably the best in history. His ability to change the flow of the game, paired with intelligent court awareness, and an outstanding 49.7 field goal percentage, proved his status as the top NBA athlete. However, he had an ability to influence on people who were basketball fans, and even one's who watched very little. He was star on the court, but was a star off the court with a new phenomenon of becoming a huge marketing legend. From his stats and awards, to endless main-stream merchandising of clothes, movies, posters, and much more, he conquered the game and the fame. Jordan was a "new age" basketball player. Bill Russell was a part of a time where African American athletes were transitioning into white-man sports. He too had outstanding numbers and a large amount of awards, however merchandising was not important or prevalent at the time. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell were champions in basketball, but Jordan was a part of the main-stream media culture, while Russell was in a world where black athletes were beginning to change the sport of basketball forming a vital piece of American history.

Jordan ended his career with 5 MVP's, 6 rings, and 13 years as a pro. Russell had 5 MPV's, 11 rings, and 15 years as a pro. Although they were in completely different eras, one were segregation of a black athlete was an everyday occurrence, and one where a black athlete was highlighted in the social media, they both made an undeniable impact as basketball stars. The two pros emphasized the impact of an African American athlete. Yet Jordan managed to gain power with loads of endorsements, attracting people all across the world.

Michael Jordan became famous from his insane stats and success playing basketball. But he remained in the social media as a celebrity additionally. He began,

"Parlaying his athletic triumphs into commercial product endorsements, Jordan became the highest paid celebrity-advertiser ever, endorsing a multitude of products for multimillion dollar companies, promoting his own line of athletic-shoes, cologne, and clothing. Jordan also participated in a film spectacle, starring Bugs Bunny in a popular movie Space Jam, and serving as the subject of a popular I-MAX film, Michael Jordan to the Max, as well as a series of documentaries in a 2002 DVD Ultimate Jordan" (Page 306).

He was a in the lime-light. Jordan began a social spectacle of athletes that made all typed of people enthralled with the player. His merchandising produced a new culture for sports competitors because of his limitless basketball skills. From that many started paying

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