‘It Was Never About The Money': Jury Orders Dominick's to Pay Jordan $8.9M for Using Name in Ad

Upon hearing the verdict, the NBA superstar told the courtroom it was "never about the money" and that he plans to put it all to charity and keep it in Chicago

A jury on Friday ordered a defunct grocery store chain to pay Michael Jordan $8.9 million for using his name without permission.

Jordan testified earlier in the week that his image is precious to him, which is why he filed a lawsuit against Dominick's Finer Foods, which has acknowledged it wasn't authorized to use Jordan's image in a 2009 magazine ad.

The ad, which ran in a commemorative edition of Sports Illustrated, congratulated Jordan on his Hall of Fame induction and included a $2-off coupon above a photograph of a sizzling steak.

One witness testified that Jordan made $100 million from his identity last year, even though he last played in the NBA in 2003.

Earlier in the day, jurors had to calculate how much Dominick's should pay Jordan for invoking his likeness. At one point during deliberations, they sent a note to the judge, saying: "We need a calculator."

In his closing argument, Jordan attorney Frederick Sperling appealed to city pride, saying about Jordan as he sat nearby: "He gave us six (NBA) championships."

Jordan's lawyer suggested the ad was worth $10 million.

Dominick's attorney Steven Mandell said he's as proud as anyone about the championships Jordan brought to Chicago. But he said jurors should award him no more than $126,000.

It was a big win for the former Chicago Bulls basketball player, who was smiling after the verdict was announced Friday night.

Upon hearing the decision, the NBA superstar told the courtroom it was "never about the money" and that he plans to put it all to charity and try to keep it in Chicago.

He added that he will continue to fight for the name he worked hard for.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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