Michael Jordan still winning—off the hardcourt

Michael Jordan is considered the all-time great in the sport of basketball winning six NBA championships during his career. The former Chicago Bulls star has been winning yet again—this time off the basketball court—when a Chicago federal court in Chicago ruled that an owner of a supermarket chain should pay Jordan $8.9 million (AU $13.39 million).

According a report from ESPN.com, a jury made the ruling after a six-hour deliberation concluding that the supermarket chain must pay the 6-time NBA champion for using his name and promoting a product in an advertisement without permission from Jordan.

"I'm pleased with today's verdict," the 52-year-old Jordan said in an official statement.

"No one -- whether or not they're a public figure -- should have to worry about their identity being used without their permission. The case was not about the money as I plan to donate the proceeds to charity. It was about honesty and integrity. I hope this case sends a clear message, both here in the United States and around the world, that I will continue to be vigilant about protecting my name and identity. I also hope the size of the monetary reward will deter others from using someone else's identity and believe they will only pay a small penalty."

The “Jordan Brand” is one of the most expensive not only in basketball but also in the entire sporting world. Jordan, who is currently the owner of the Charlotte Hornets franchise in the NBA, still endorses a lot of products including Nike, Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck, among many others.

According to Forbes.com, Jordan has a net worth of $1 billion (AU $1.37 billion).

Jordan led the Bulls to NBA titles from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998. In all championship series, he won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award and also the regular season MVP in 1998, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998. For his 15-year NBA career, Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game in the regular season and 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game in the postseason.

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