Say what you will about the post-basketball career of Chicago Bulls living legend Michael Jordan, but the man certainly knows how to keep his name in the headlines. Whether it's strong-arming his way through the NBA lockout negations, getting engaged, or stirring up legal trouble, MJ has a way of staying relevant after his playing days ended in a way most athletes could never dream of.
And so here we are: another week, another lawsuit filed by Jordan. His Airness most recently made news when his lawsuit against Jewel-Osco over a congratulatory ad was all but thrown out of court by a judge last Wednesday. Today, MJ is getting back in the legal game: he's suing Qiaodan, a China-based sportswear manufacturer, for "unauthorized use" of his name and identity.
While Jordan didn't draw much sympathy locally for his lawsuit against Jewel, he seems to have a case this time around. "Qiaodan" is the Chinese translation of Jordan, and the company has been using his name, No. 23, and the even the names of his two sons Jeffrey and Marcus to sell merchandise for years.
Says MJ:
"Any monetary awards I might receive will be invested in growing the sport of basketball in China," said Jordan in a statement. "I am taking this action to preserve ownership of my name and my brand."
Also, there's this: "Though Jordan claimed the complaint was "not about money", his attorney admitted that Jordan also asked for compensation for moral damage in the case."
Moral damage! MJ. The best once and forever.