• MSNBC/CNBC, Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11:30 AM

Michael Jordan's last game was in 2003, but sales of his Nike brand keep growing. Last year, Brand Jordan--now a separate Nike subsidiary with its own building--grossed about $800 million. That's just $100 million less than the entire company was pulling in when they signed the basketball great 23 years earlier. "Brand Jordan today sells about twice as much product around the world as when he was playing," says Nike founder Phil Knight.

The company is throwing everything it has at the release of its latest Air Jordan--the Air 23--with a focus on the NBA All-Star game Feb. 16 in New Orleans. The design sports Jordan's slightly modified fingerprint, and features earth-friendly materials and stitching where other versions use adhesives.

"Personally, I think that it's the most beautiful product that I've ever worked on," says designer Tinker Hatfield. Early indications are that Nike fans agree. Customers eagerly recently waited for the new sneakers' limited release outside a New York City shoe store in 25-degree weather. Some had been in line for five days.

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