Michael Jordan Wins Chicago Case Over Grocery's Unauthorized Use of His Name

After a six-year court battle, NBA legend Michael Jordan finally claimed victory in a case where a grocery store used his identity in an advertisement.

Grocery chain Dominick's, now owned by Safeway according to Yahoo Sports, was asked by a court on Friday to pay the basketball star $8.9 million "for the unapproved and unlicensed use of his name in an ad."

The Chicago grocery chain reportedly released a congratulatory advertisement for Jordan after he became part of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

However, below the ad the gorcery company informed its card holders that they can save $2 on their "Rancher's Reserve Steak."

When Jordan found out about this, he decided to sue the grocery chain for $5 million.

ESPN reported that a jury discussed the case for about six hours before releasing their decision on Friday.

The legal counsels of Jordan also said presented sports economist Andrew Zimbalist as a witness to the case and testified Jordan's market value for the ad is now $10 million while Safeway offers a figure below $150,000.

Yahoo Sports said the jury even asked the judge for a calculator to help them adding all the figures involved in the case.

In a statement quoted by ESPN, Jordan expressed how pleased he was with the court's decision.

"No one -- whether or not they're a public figure -- should have to worry about their identity being used without their permission. The case was not about the money as I plan to donate the proceeds to charity. It was about honesty and integrity," Jordan said.

"I hope this case sends a clear message, both here in the United States and around the world, that I will continue to be vigilant about protecting my name and identity. I also hope the size of the monetary reward will deter others from using someone else's identity and believe they will only pay a small penalty."

The basketball legend's victory over Dominick's was considered by the Chicago Tribune as bullying.

"This could have been settled more simply by a cease-and-desist letter from one of Jordan's fleet of attorneys. Defenders of all things Jordan insist celebrities must protect their brand and that is true, within reason," the Chicago Tribune said.

It also highlighted that the ad did not even sell since only two customers availed of the $2 dollar discount on their steaks.

Chicago Tribune even asked if donating to charities could justify Jordan's greed in this case.

"The planet's most recognizable athlete picking this $10 million fight with Dominick's defied common sense no matter how many sycophants want to attribute this to Jordan's rare competitive nature," Chicago Tribune noted.