just curious, is that in any way quantifiable?
Yes.
NBA ratings before, during, and after the Jordan Era:
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/04/20/nba-postseason-broadcast-ratings-1987-2007/3413/
"Post-Jordan decline
The retirement of Michael Jordan set in motion the decline in NBA ratings which continues today. Ratings for the 1999 NBA Finals (which in fairness, came after a lockout shortened season) were down significantly from the previous year, from an 18.7 to an 11.3. Primetime regular season games, which had become fairly routine (and highly-rated) during the Jordan years, set record lows for NBC once Jordan retired. With the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers in the early part of the 2000s (decade), ratings improved, but never to the level of the 1980s or 1990s. The highest NBA Finals ratings on NBC after Jordan left was the 2001 Finals, which featured the dominant and then-defending champion Lakers with Shaq and Kobe Bryant versus the polarizing Allen Iverson and the underdog Philadelphia 76ers. The ratings for that series were a 12.1, still down 35 percent from 1998. NBC's last Finals, in 2002, came after a resurgence in playoff ratings (including a 14.2 rating for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals). However, the Finals itself registered the lowest ratings the event had seen since 1981, topping out at a 10.2 average." -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Basketball_Association_Nielsen_ratings
Team value during and after the Jordan Era:
"Question: How much has the value of the Chicago Bulls changed from Jordan's rookie season to now?
Answer: The Chicago Bulls were purchased for around $16 million in 1985, and were valued at $356 million in 2004." -
http://ca.askmen.com/sports/business_100/108c_sports_business.html
The sales of his merchandise in the OP's article are a testament to his impact. The continued intrigue and interest in Jordan is what brought viewers to the league. When he left, the magic of the game left with him.
At 50 years old and above his playing weight, he is still better than 19 year old NBA players:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameo...kidd-gilchrist-charlotte-bobcats-nba/1924059/. His acclaim among fans, critics, and fellow NBA players as the best ever speaks to his lasting legacy.
That said, the NBA seems to be surging ahead again (
http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciaj...nbas-international-viewership-and-popularity/), perhaps due to a new generation of viewers who are not familiar with Jordan since they weren't alive during his reign.