Michael Jordan suing grocer because he values his image 'very preciously'

Michael Jordan has five children, six if his remarkably substantial brand can be considered that close to his heart.

And it appears Jordan thinks of it that way, testifying Tuesday that he values his image "very preciously," according to The Associated Press.

Jordan was in court to testify in a lawsuit he brought against grocery store chain Dominick's Finer Foods. The now-out-of-business grocer used Jordan's image without permission in a 2009 magazine ad, upsetting Jordan, who would never have done the deal because it would've been for less than $10 million.

"I have the final say-so on everything that involves my likeness and my name," Jordan said Tuesday, explaining he brought the case "to protect my likeness, my image."

Jordan's image is worth a demonstrably astronomical amount, with recent estimates suggesting he made $480 million from 2000-2012 off Nike alone. Attorneys for the defunct grocery chain maintain that Jordan's camp is overvaluing his name within the context of a one-off ad like the one Dominick's used.

This isn't the first time Jordan has been in court to protect his brand. A Chinese court recently ruled against Jordan and in favor of Chinese sportswear company Qiaodan, who more egregiously and regularly bogarted Jordan's image.