Part of protecting your brand is suing other companies who try to profit off you, and that’s just what Michael Jordan did. He has donated to 23 different charities in total for every lawsuit he has won.
Speaking of charities he’s donated to he said, “The 23 charities I’ve chosen to make donations to all support the health, education, and well-being of the kids of Chicago. Chicago has given me so much and I want to give back to its kids—the city’s future.”
What Inspired the Space Jam Film?
The classic Space Jam was released in 1996. The movie has Michael Jordan pairing up with Bugs Bunny as they try to beat the Monstars at a basketball game to save the planet. As we all know now, the movie was a total hit. However, this wasn’t the first time Michael was seen on TV with Bugs Bunny.
Warner Brothers came up with the idea for the film after the popular 1993 Nike commercial. The brand put the two together in a commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. Space Jam would end up being the highest grossing basketball film of all time.
Philanthropy
Tragedy struck in 2001 when the twin towers were attacked. Michael Jordan chose to donate his entire years’ salary to the victims. His first $100,000 went to the children who lost their parents and the remaining went to relief efforts.
Athletes were so eager to help the victims that in 2017, Eagles defense player Chris Long donated his salary to educational equality efforts.
He Has Beef With Sports Illustrated
Not every sports publication was on board with Michael Jordan when he switched careers to play for the Chicago White Sox. Sports Illustrated wrote, “Michael Jordan has no more business patrolling right field in Comiskey Park than Minnie Minoso has bringing the ball upcourt for the Chicago Bulls."
As you can imagine, Jordan was not at all a fan of this and hasn’t spoken with Sports Illustrated since it was published. In all fairness, his transition into the MLB was not the best. He played one season for the White Sox minor league system but never made it onto the major league roster.
Why He Gave Baseball a Swing?
The first time Michael Jordan retired from the NBA was because he said that he lacked the desire to keep playing. However, the real reason had to do with the passing of his father. It was his father’s dream to see Jordan play baseball, so he wanted to bring that dream to life.
The transition from the Chicago Bulls to the White Sox was fairly easy for Jordan because the two teams had the same owner. During his minor league career, Jordan hit -202 with three home runs and 51 runs batted in. After what we would call a second wind for basketball, Jordan rejoined the NBA in 1995 and was ready to win more titles.