Michael Jordan isn’t in the business of giving autographs to fans in public, and one individual found that out recently. A fan crossed paths with Jordan in South Beach in January and asked the Chicago Bulls icon to sign his basketball, only to get turned down.
The fan appeared to be telling Jordan that he wasn’t trying to get his autograph to sell the basketball. He claimed it was a Magic Johnson-personalized ball so he couldn’t sell it but Jordan still wasn’t interested in signing. The fan continued to plead but to no avail.
Anyone who has followed Jordan for a length of time wouldn’t have been surprised by this. It doesn’t matter who you are, you won’t get that autograph. A video went viral last year where Jordan could be seen refusing to sign an autograph for a kid while Mike Tyson gladly did it.
Why does Jordan act in this manner? Well, there is a reason for it and it’s linked to him signing a deal with Upper Deck in 1992. Their president John Masherah told The San Diego Union-Tribune that Jordan doesn’t give out autographs as he wants to keep memorabilia associated with him limited.
“He’ll take care of sick kids, kids at camps or whatever,” Masherah said. “But other than Upper Deck, he doesn’t really sign autographs. From a branding standpoint, Michael and his team realized there’s something to be said for making them high-end and super limited.”
It’s all about that money. Things autographed by Jordan are very rare and cost a fortune. A look at the Jordan section on Upper Deck’s website might blow your mind.
Signed Nike Air Jordan 6 Retro Black ‘Infrared’ 2019 Shoes cost $24,999.99 while a “Runway” poster is listed at $7,999.99. The cheapest signed basketball on offer costs $7,999.99 too.
So, it isn’t all that surprising that Jordan refused to sign that basketball, is it? If you so desperately want something signed by him, just head over to Upper Deck and fork out thousands of dollars.
While this might rub some the wrong way, Jordan is a businessman at the end of the day. They don’t tend to do much for free and Jordan certainly didn’t become a billionaire in 2014 by handing out freebies.
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