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- Sports Court #62 | Keeping it Trill
Sports Court #62 | Keeping it Trill
The fastest 3 minutes in name, image and likeness
Tariq Ahmad
August 14, 2023
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Today’s Case
Michael Jordan’s daughter said he could be making ‘trillions’ if NIL deals existed during his college playing days
Michael Jordan (Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
Michael Jordan has become synonymous with success, on and off the court. Today, Jordan is worth approximately $2 billion, thanks in part to smart business moves, including his Jordan Brand entity at Nike.
And if NIL existed during his playing days at North Carolina, he could have made even more money.
Jordan’s daughter Jasmine noted he could have reaped massive rewards during the early 1980’s, stating:
“Maybe that first Nike deal wouldn’t have been as low as it was. It would have changed the game. He would have potentially approached his contracts with Nike differently. Looking at his Funko Pop collectibles or the fact that people still wear his UNC jersey, to reap the benefits from it today, we’re talking making trillions at this point.”
The Verdict:
Billions is one thing; trillions is a completely different level - and one that would be nearly impossible
Let’s use basic numbers here:
1 million seconds = ~11.5 days
1 billion seconds = ~33.6 years
1 trillion seconds = ~31,700 years
So while there is compounding money adjusted for inflation and length of time, Jordan hitting trillions of dollars by starting with NIL deals in the 1980’s is quite a stretch
Even if the math is off, there is some validity to the statement
Perhaps I’m being too literal (read: definitely) with Jasmine’s point, but I get where she is coming from.
Jordan being able to capitalize on his NIL from his freshman year of college could have set him to negotiate even larger contracts early in his career.
Although Jordan would have earned big dollar deals (probably would have a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars per deal), his journey to potential trillionaire status could have began before he ever stepped foot on an NBA court (and of course, before his Nike deal).
Who else would have made a fortune if NIL was always around?
It’s an interesting “what-if” scenario to consider.
There are certainly plenty of viable candidates: Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Johnny Manziel, the list goes on.
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Topics include (but not limited to) What is NIL, what parents should ask schools, and how to get started. Attendees will also receive a FREE NIL Prep Kit with high school NIL rules and guidelines and a checklist of ways to begin your athlete’s NIL journey.
Register here and please share with anyone who would be interested in this webinar!
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