Will The Next Micheal Jordan Please Stand Up

Reebok has Allen Iverson. Adidas has Tracy McGrady. Nike has Vince Carter and LeBron James. However, will any of these athletes come close to being the next Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan has been an absolute goldmine for Nike. In 1984, Jordan signed a five-year contract with Nike for a mere $2.5 million dollars. The ‘Air Jordan’ shoe was the turning point for Nike. During the early 1980s, Nike was struggling to take control of the sports shoe market. It was anyone’s market; but the ‘Air Jordan’ quickly made it Nike’s market.

Nike has picked LeBron James to be its next Jordan. The $90 million dollar high school star has still yet to prove his true worth to the Nike label. However, if LeBron can develop himself as a true individual the fame and fortune should come hand in hand.

I do have a criticism of LeBron James. He is obviously a phenomenal talent, but in order to be as great as Jordan he has to differentiate himself in the market. By using the same number as Jordan ‘23’ I feel he is following footsteps rather than making his own.

I think LeBron James should want to be LeBron James. What makes any player special is what he or she does differently from the rest.

The fact is that there is only one Michael Jordan. Although, Nike is desperately searching for the next Jordan, maybe they should rethink what they are looking for. Instead of searching for something that has already been great, they should look for the something that makes a real difference.