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MJ returned to the Wizards because he was a big part of their management and he wanted to single-handedly bring the franchise back to prominance. The money was not the issue, as he accepted $1M in each of his 2 seasons with the Wizards. That's MJ's competitive spirit going out of control (and trust me, if there was any chance of his body being able to give the Bobcats 20-30MPG, he'd be back on the hardwood). And as badly as fans wanted his legacy to end with the shot over Russel, there is no one that didn't want to see him back in the NBA again. He got louder cheers at opponent arenas on every shot make than the hometown players got. I am not going to quote your entire post and dissect everything, so I'll sum it up... My point is that for LeBron to reach that unprecendented level of superstardom from a financial/marketing aspect, he has to win. Right now he is still viewed as a prodigy with the untapped potential to be a true legend. Because of this he has, for the most part, gotten a pass for not winning a championship(s). Now entering his 8th season he is starting to feel that pressure. He went from being the concensus best player in the NBA in April to a distant 2nd in May. Kobe went from being considered washed up/inferior to Kevin Durant in April to arguably GOAT in June. Really the only thing that changed in that time was a poor, weak-hearted performance against the Celtics by LeBron, and Kobe playing through various injuries and playing his [expletive] off en route to yet another championship. People have incredibly short-term memories, but my point is fans value championships and heart above everything else. And what the fan wants directly dictates a player's success in his life off the court. If LeBron doesn't win championships, then his financial success and fame off the court will come to a screeching halt once he declines/retires. And honestly, I really don't think LeBron is worrying about going bankrupt. He's a smart, sensible guy, and the reason for him wanting to be a billionaire is not to prevent bankruptcy. Rather it is status, as you mentioned. But how many retired athletes still in the spotlight DON'T have rings? The only one I can think of is Charles Barkley, but that's because of his personality and ability to be a legend on the mic. Otherwise, the athletes who are relevant from a marketing/financial aspect in retirement are there because they showed all-around dominance of their sport, which includes championships. Basically, if LeBron wants to reach the goal of being the most prolific athlete of all-time from an off the court standpoint, he needs to perform as the most prolific player of all-time on the court. There have been so many outstanding athletes that have dominated their sport from a production standpoint yet crucified because they didn't win (T-Mac, KG pre-Celtics, A-Rod pre-2009, etc...). T-Mac is so far out of the spotlight now and has 0 chance to redeem himself, which is a shame because he was a guy that was able to put up 32/6/6 in 2002-2003 and have the world at his fingertips. Had KG and A-Rod failed to get those championships, they would have always been viewed as elite talents that could never achieve the ultimate goal of winning a ring. They would have had "status" until retirement, when a new generation of possibly even greater talents came along to steal the spotlight. W What seperates elite players from elite players, both on and off the court, is winning.

How bad can 10 or 11 vuvuzelas be?

I'm tired of seeing this stuff everywhere. On TV, on the internet, in magazines. KOBE BRYANT IS KOBE BRYANT. He is not trying to be Michael Jordan. he's trying to create his own legacy. I'm sure in his own head he doesn't even think about who he can be compared to after winning his 5th, and maybe winning 6, 7 or 8. He knows, and people that know Kobe all know he isn't trying to beat anyone, he's trying to be the best player he can be. Now stop comparing.