The Business End: Arsenal gamble in China, Michael Jordan outshines current stars

Michael Jordan’s on-court days may be behind him, but the memory alone of His Airness floating towards the basket makes him worth more to marketers than any other current sportsperson in the world.

MJ became the first basketball player to be worth a billion dollars last year, according to Forbes, with the 52-year-old’s annual endorsements, most notably from Nike’s Jordan Brand, adding up to $100million in the past year.

That figure alone dwarfs his net lifetime earnings from 19 years in basketball (although four of those years were spent in temporary retirements), which came to a – comparably – measly $90million.