I remember playing NBA Live 97. This was back when the Bulls were the team to beat. And every time I would go to the Bulls roster, every player was there except Michael Jordan.
At the time, I was 7 and didn't know any better. But I now realize there must have been some financial or personal reason why Jordan didn't appear. They didn't even use his number. They used number 24 and called him Roster Player.
NBA2K11 was an example of what Jordan did when actually let people put him in the game. That edition had so much MJ in it it got old and obnoxious. It was like every part of the game had to have Jordan on it.
My Question:
Does anyone know the history of Michael Jordan's licensing of his name and brand to video game companies? If so, can you explain why he wasn't in NBA Live 97 (when he was playing like a stud) but then suddenly had a Jordan explosion in NBA2K11 (long after he was relevant)?