Michael Jordan's Influence On American Culture And Society

The Jordan Influence When most people think about Michael Jordan, they think about him as the greatest basketball player who ever played. However, Jordan was not only a basketball player, but someone who influenced the American culture and society. Jordan’s influence was one that had never been seen before. Whether it was through basketball or his own brand, Jordan was making everyone want “to be like Mike”. Through Michael Jordan’s athletic success on the court, he was able to make himself and his brand into a cultural icon, which had a great impact on the game of basketball, fashion, marketing, and the economy in America. Before Jordan took on the rest of society, he was focussed on the game of basketball. Jordan was the face of the NBA. He took the game to new heights through his game changing performances. Starting in college at the University of North Carolina, Jordan proved to everyone that he was going to be something spectacular in the NBA. He was later drafted to the Chicago Bulls in 1984, where he won six NBA titles. In 1994, Jordan surprised the world of sports by retiring and signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He was assigned to the Birmingham Barons. However, Jordan’s baseball career did not last

In 1985, Michael Jordan teamed up with Nike and established Jordan Brand. In his article, “The Jordan Impact”, Kenneth Cortsen highlights how Jordan used his success on the court to help his marketing for his brand as well as others brands. For example, Cortsen quotes Graeme Turner who states that “one year after signing Michael Jordan for Gatorade’s “Be like Mike” promotion, Gatorade’s annual revenue had increased from $681 million to over $1 billion(Cortsen, par. 5). Through Jordan’s impact on his brand and other brands, it was evident he was making a serious impact on the realm of