There is always a lot of discussion surrounding Michael Jordan’s era. The Chicago Bulls star revolutionized the game during his time in the NBA, and while some choose to downplay Jordan’s era, one NBA legend recently credited him for what other stars were able to build off the court.
During a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay show, NBA legend Charles Barkley said, “I’m glad I played in Jordan’s era. If it wasn’t for Michael, I wouldn’t make millions of dollars from Nike a year. LeBron, Kobe wouldn’t make millions of dollars from Nike a year. If it wasn’t for Michael Jordan, we all wouldn’t have commercials.”
As Barkley noted, Jordan helped paved the way for other stars to get paid by Nike. While there are always debates about Jordan’s era, there is no way to debate what Barkley is saying here. Always with a lot of respect for Jordan, Barkley made sure to credit him for what himself, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant were able to build with Nike.
In the same way he revolutionized basketball, Jordan also revolutionized Nike. This is something that countless stars after him were able to build on, and something that is still impactful to this day. There will never be another Michael Jordan, as his impact on basketball and so much around it is unmatched in so many ways.
