The Jordan Brand Curse

Is there a curse in signing with Michael Jordan's Nike subsidiary, the Jordan Brand company? It seems there are some interesting correlations and happenings that have come about with many professional athletes (mostly NBA basketball players) that have signed with Jordan in the duration of the Brand's 11-year existence.

NikeBlog.com recently published an article that briefly focused on Darius Miles, a former Jordan Brand athlete, now the cusp of reinvigorating his career after sitting out two full seasons because of "career-ending" knee injuries. Glossing over Miles' troublesome career, the blog also briefly mentioned a Who's Who list of the Brand's most disappointing players to wear shoes bearing the famous Jumpman logo. Naming only a few names did not nearly present the entirety of failure and career "un-achievements" of the Brand's historical roster of signees and associates.

The blog named Darius Miles, the ex-Los Angeles Clipper, ex-Cleveland Cavalier, ex-Portland Trail Blazer and recently, ex-Boston Celtic as its chief failure of all Jordan signees. In passing, Jared Jeffries of the New York Knicks was mentioned, a player who has never come near what his potential called for; the retired Vin Baker, who prior to joining the Brand was an All-Star with a bright future and in turn, suffered a terrifying decline in living his life and playing ball; Bobby Simmons of the New Jersey Nets, who as a L.A. Clipper was a rising star and upon signing with Jordan, became an injury-prone reserve earning millions in what was going to be his breakout with the Milwaukee Bucks; Andruw Jones, the vastly-overpaid (and now overweight) MLB All-Star who suffered a increase in waistline and a decline in actual production with the Atlanta Braves with the Brand; and Freddie Jones, whose only claim to fame with Jordan was winning the 2003 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in a pair of Nu'Retro Air Jordans, only to become a salary cap casualty and NBA journeyman.

More telling is NikeBlog's lack of names that have appear to only be shadows of their former selves athletically, since being a Jordan Brand member.

Derek Anderson never became the player he was thought to become when he starred at the University of Kentucky, and has been a member since his rookie year in 1997. He spent most of his 11 years in the NBA traveling to and fro team to team, finally winning a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006 (as a bit player) and wrapping up the 2008 (and his final) season with MJ's very own Charlotte Bobcats.

Gary Payton famously played below-par as a Brand member, as a Los Angeles Laker, Celtics and Heat. A future Hall of Famer, Payton was gold for 13 previous seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics and (briefly) the Milwaukee Bucks, as a high-scoring, defensive-minded point guard. The next four years were painful, as his rapid decline seemed to coincide with his sneakers baring idle Jumpmen on benches of the Staples Center, TD Waterhouse Boston Garden and American Airlines Arena.

Kobe Bryant was an unofficial member in 2003-04 and that was the season of his rape trial. Prior to that season, Kobe won his famed championships with the Lakers and stole the media's heart with Sprite and adidas endorsements. After beating the charges in courts, Kobe received new signature sneakers and actually recovered from his fallen angel status on the court. The lone year of trepidation came in a year of exclusive Jordans being sent to him for on-court wear.

Mickael Pietrus was given a contract solely on his pre-draft rep as the "French Jordan" in the 2003 Draft and was promptly released from his contract, after which he went to Reebok for a year. Pietrus, like Anderson, has never reached the success that his scouting reports seemed to suggest when he was in Europe, and his stays with the Golden State Warriors and the Brand both reached low points. Pietrus signed with the Orlando Magic in the summer of 2008 and signed with Jordan's parent company Nike in the same time--he promptly required surgery on one of his hands months later.

Terrell Owens signed with Jordan Brand, and has since, made a complete and total behind of himself on the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and now with the Dallas Cowboys. Owens was always a bit of a nuisance in the locker room, but just when his reputation was bit on the backside of negative press, after having signed with the Brand, T.O. became a huge distraction. He did lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl, but immediately soured his stay, which also coincided with being given signature colorways of Jordan sneakers.

Warren Sapp declined drastically once he became a Jordan member. Sapp, a future Pro Football Hall of Fame player, did great without Jumpmen on his feet in his previous decade with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A Jordan contract later and Sapp regressed to the point where he was barely playing and still getting paid for it.

Sean May hasn't lived up. May is best known for being former Indiana University basketball legend Scott May's son and for Sean himself winning the NCAA title with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Being signed by Michael Jordan himself as a Bobcats draft pick, a microfracture surgery and a pair of Air Jordans later, May's NBA career is looking somewhat short. The interesting thing is that May has spent the last seven years in Air Jordans, oweing some bad luck to North Carolina for being a recipient of Jordan's collegiate sportswear and uniforms; ironically, May had similar knee problems and weight problems and doubts about his future as a pro, and really only had one good, solid year spent with the Brand.

May's Bobcats teammate, Gerald Wallace, started getting concussions once he signed with Jordan in 2007, and has been oft-injured for the past two years in total. He was also called "The Michael Jordan of the Class of 2000", his high school graduating class.

Josh Howard, the Dallas Maverick, has also endured much criticism (due largely and solely to his asinine comments to the media) while playing in Air Jordans. One All-Star year is all he has to show for his trouble.

Eddie Jones, a great player in his prime, soon became an afterthought after his signature shoe was released. An All-Star briefly in the beginning of his contract with the Brand as a member of the Lakers and the now-former Charlotte Hornets. Two signature shoes thereafter coincided with a steady, arched decline in his ability to really play as well as he did.

Quentin Richardson also has failed to be all he could've been after one excellent year with the Phoenix Suns. A Jordan Brand member since his rookie year with Miles in 2000, Richardson did not live up to his billing as a future All-Star swingman, despite his many comparisons and connections to Jordan himself as a Windy City native.

Jalen Rose actually started to regress as a role player when Jordan started sending him shoes as a Toronto Raptor. Not long after receiving exclusive Air Jordans in Toronto, Rose became a bit player with the Knicks and ending his career quietly as a Sun, a mere shadow of his 20-point-scoring, point guard self.

It would be remiss to forget the trouble Carmelo Anthony has been in since being a Jordan signee, despite his talent. In fact, the Denver Nuggets forward has evaded the accolades he has been due since wearing Jumpmen on his feet (and being a verbal and criminal offender in the media, not unlike Josh Howard).

Juwan Howard regressed with Jordan Brand, too, as a member of the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

Jason Kidd actually had a decent year with the Brand in 2003-04, but it came right before he had to get microfracture knee surgery.

Mitch Richmond, a future Hall of Famer, became a nobody scrub on the Lakers with Jordan Brand in 2001, and his numbers declined in 1998 as he went to the Washington Wizards as a Brand member.

Reggie Miller had a year in the Finals wearing Jordan XV exclusives for the Indiana Pacers and then never made it back, followed by "The Brawl" four years afterward.

When Scott Pippen wore the Air Jordan Xs in '94-95 with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan's comeback year, they didn't win a title--he got his own sigs, and won three straight later on.

Roy Jones Jr. absolutely collapsed as a fighter after being a Jordan signee, losing multiple consecutive fights for the only time in his career to end his career.

Randy Moss joined great success on the field with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders, unfortunately, as his numbers peaked with his arrest count.

Toni Kukoc, post-1998 in exclusive Air Jordans, became a near-nobody overnight with the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. There are a handful of players who have achieved and sustained a great amount of success in signing with the Jordan Brand. Off of the bat, the New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul has done nothing but soar in the league as a lead endorser. Michael Finley is a wily vet who has championed the years of All-Star appearances and playoff successes with the Mavericks and Spurs. Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons seemed only to get better when he became a Brand member, even moreso after having played with the man whose name appears on the shoes. Mike Bibby, now playing with the Atlanta Hawks, has had a very good career with the Brand since his rookie year in 1998, first with the Vancouver Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. Ray Allen may be the ultimate Jordan Brand member with a storied career playing in Air Jordans and lots of All-Star appearances and a championship to account for. Joe Johnson, Bibby's Hawks teammate, has enjoyed a steady increase of success yearly, since he has played while on the Brand, adding Olympic gold to his trophies. Kevin Garnett never officially became a Brand member, but having turned in an eye-opening rookie year with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Air Jordan XIs and an All-Star season in his second year wearing Jumpman Pros, he certainly can be added amongst the bunch. Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin is making an impact on the league as well.

In the end, barring sheer luck and having an ability to evade the greatest of bad fortunes, professional athletes who sign with the Jordan Brand fall under these specific circumstances: A) are young in their careers when they sign and never fulfill their potential, B) are midway through their careers when they sign with the Brand and may achieve a career year and take a precipitous fall in production or C) enjoy a good career, pre-Jordan, and sign late and then become obsolete to their teams when their play is eclipsed by their own NBA teammates soon after.

Then again, "The Greatest To Ever Play The Game" has not been known for making good judgment calls outside of playing on the hardwood (see Wizards, Washington; Bobcats, Charlotte; 2001 NBA comeback).