Very few of those fighting over the shoes know much about him, or are even old enough to remember him playing for a championship team.
Hence the company's policy of getting newer stars to co-endorse the shoes.
That being said, why should Jordan not get rich from his talent and reputation? He worked extremely hard to become the absolute best at his profession. Why should he not benefit from his hard work?
He is like a crack-dealer having people kill others to get the product.
Sneakers are not brain-altering chemicals. They are leisure footwear.
99% of the sneakers' purchasers are not willing to commit violent crimes to get sneakers.
One might as well condemn motorcycle manufacturers because a tiny percentage of the enthusiasts of their popular products are career criminals.
like the Columbian Cartel.
Because they peacefully manufacture useful household products that law-abiding consumers enjoy?
You've lost the plot.
The shoes could not cost more than $20 in China.
How much does it cost to ship a pair of sneakers from Shanghai to Houston?
How much does it cost per shoe to rent or own a sneaker store in Houston?
How much does it cost to insure and staff a sneaker store in Houston? To secure endorsements that make the shoes more popular?
Sneakers do not magically appear on the feet of the end consumer the moment they are manufactured.
It costs money to get them from point A to point B.
The sad thing is the illusion that simply having the sneakers will do much more for the wearer than a pair of $15 K-Mart Franklins.
Because pure capitalism is better than government meddling, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other states of affairs (remember, the government does not need to be the center of moral authority) that are better yet. I get the idea some of you would scoff at traditional Christian preachers and their harping on modesty.