No sports person made more money than US basketball player Michael Jordan through the 1990s. He brought the concept of sporting celebrity to a new plane, creating endorsement deals which were so effective that the Dow Jones index plummeted when he announced his retirement in October 1993. By then he had led the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA titles. He returned 18 months later and led the team to three more titles. For anyone who had the privilege of seeing him play, concerns about his rampant commercialisation of sport faded. Seldom in any sport has the best player been so much better than all the rest. He retired for the second time in some style, having scored an astonishing title-winning shot to claim his sixth NBA title.