Jordan Testifies He Would Have Said No To Dominick’s Ad

Jordan said – under oath – the store never asked him for permission to use his image, and if it had… he would have rejected the deal since it was his version of small potatoes. Jordan has taken the defunct grocer Dominick’s to trial over a 2009 magazine ad that used his name and famous number “23”.

Polk says marketing deals can have promotional value for Jordan beyond cash compensation.

Steve Rosenfeld, an attorney for Dominick’s, has disputed the value of Jordan’s recent deals.

Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist testified that the fair market value of Jordan’s image in advertising is at least $10 million. The former bulls star reportedly made $100 million in endorsement income in 2014, a decade after he retired from the NBA. It might be worth $10 million in some contexts, he said, but not necessarily in a one-off ad.

The professor, who has consulted with professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey players associations, said surveys established Jordan as the country’s most popular professional athlete in 2009 and 2010, well above his nearest competitors.

Jordan stood with his hands behind his back and smiled at the jury when they left the courtroom. He said Jordan prefers long-term mega contracts, like the one with Nike. “It didn’t fit the strategy we were operating on”.

The ad, which ran in a commemorative edition of Sports Illustrated, congratulated Jordan on his Hall of Fame induction and included a $2-off coupon above a photograph of a sizzling steak.