“Made billions because of the overall success of LeBron”: NBA fans go nuts as Michael Jordan becomes first athlete to make it to Forbes 400 list

Michael Jordan became the first athlete to be part of the enviable Forbes 400 list. “His Airness” reportedly sold his majority ownership of the Charlotte Hornets to Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall for $3 billion in June. The list is published annually around September and Jordan just made the cut. Forbes has a $2.7 billion minimum requirement for anybody to join the group.

The Chicago Bulls legend was ripped by most fans for previously owning a franchise that didn’t have much success during his tenure. As someone who made or approved the biggest basketball decisions, the former NBA superstar received a huge part of the criticism.

Jordan’s entry into the Forbes 400 list had some fans reacting:

“Couldn’t have led the Hornets any worse but made billions because of the overall success of LeBron’s league”

The Charlotte Hornets had a dismal 423-600 record under Michael Jordan, which ranked in the bottom fifth in the NBA during that span. Jordan’s Hornets couldn’t win a single series in the playoffs and haven’t reached the postseason over the last seven years.

The six-time NBA champion has been lambasted for the first-round talents he drafted during his time with the Hornets. Some of the names Jordan picked that didn’t turn out well were Adam Morrison, Brandan Wright, D.J. Augustin, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Noah Vonleh, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky.

Michael Jordan also has to be credited for drafting Kemba Walker and LaMelo Ball. The Chicago Bulls icon picked Brandon Miller over Scoot Henderson in this year’s draft. If Henderson proves to be a significantly better player than Miller, Jordan’s resume as an executive will only get worse.

The worst part about Jordan’s time as the Charlotte Hornets’ majority owner was reportedly his inability to take criticism. He was also trolled for surrounding himself with “yes” people, who were only looking to please the basketball legend.

Amid all of that, Michael Jordan emerged richer than ever. The criticism, unfair or not, was certainly worth it. He had $3 billion reasons not to have any sour feelings with the way his tenure with the Hornets went.

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LeBron James is expected to be a Forbes mainstay like Michael Jordan

LeBron James became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. He was recently ranked No. 2,540 on Forbes’ 2023 billionaire’s list. The current LA Lakers superstar isn’t looking to stop there either.

Like Jordan, he has become a savvy businessman with a growing empire. The four-time MVP is also looking to follow Jordan’s footsteps by becoming an NBA owner. Unlike "His Airness" though, James is not looking at a small-market team to lead a franchise. He has already publicly stated that he wants to own a team based in Las Vegas.

It might not be too long before LeBron joins Jordan on Forbes’ elite list.