“Nobody was making money off shoes before Michael” - Charles Barkley believes Michael Jordan is GOAT because he opened commercial opportunities for fellow NBA players
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time because of his on-court play, but Charles Barkley believes Jordan is the GOAT for his off-court contributions.
The debate over who is the greatest NBA player of all time usually comes down to critical areas like awards, championships and stats.
During a recent interview, Barkley added two more factors to the GOAT argument, which boost Jordan's GOAT credentials.
Barkley mentions that the shoe deals Jordan started changed the basketball game. Following his footsteps, current players like LeBron James can make hundreds of millions of dollars from shoe deals alone. He said:
Michael did two things; where I always tell people I think he's the GOAT. Number one, the shoe thing. Nobody was making money off shoes before Michael. Now guys are all making three-four hundred million dollars a year because of Michael. Well, a couple of guys are making that much, but that's because of Michael.
The shoe deals that Jordan signed undoubtedly changed the financial status of the NBA and its players, as the Jordan brand laid the model for how athletes approach merchandising.
Barkley also believes Jordan and his brand led to the commercialization of NBA players, which almost every player benefits from. He added:
Then, secondly, we all got commercials. Nobody made commercials before Michael Jordan came along, so Magic Bird and Michaell to me, man, I thank those guys for me never having to get a real job. It means a lot to me; those three guys.
Jordan may not have the on-court success that some of the other elite players in basketball history have achieved. However, his brand is one of the largest in the history of sports and has helped many players make significant money.
Charles Barkley isn't the only one re-anointing Michael Jordan as GOAT
Charles Barkley is taking a unique approach about Michael Jordan's GOAT credentials. However, he's not the only analyst claiming that Jordan is the GOAT for a particular segment.
During a recent segment on his show, Rich Eisen also gave a unique reason why Jordan is the GOAT.
" — @richeisen has a message for those LeBron Stans taking umbrage:At the @F1 race in Miami on Sunday, we couldn't help but notice @TomBrady called Michael Jordan "The real 🐐" — @richeisen has a message for those LeBron Stans taking umbrage:
#NFL #NBA #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/bTie2lC3o2
The acknowledgment from the prominent journalist and new sports analyst Tom Brady further reinforces Jordan's GOAT credentials.
As Rich Eisen said during his show, LeBron James will have the opportunity to add to his resume. However, the debate will rage on for years to come. For now Eisen and Charles Barkley are sticking with Jordan as the GOAT.