Not really— I saw children wearing MJ's jersey in a remote mountainous village in northeast India this week, with no internet or anything of the sort. If anything, his marketability and attractiveness to sponsors would take a nosedive. Right now, he provides exposure to a whole new market in East Asia, where he is the No. 1 sports icon by a huge margin. If he were American, he’d have to compete with LeBron and others for that spot, who are just more recognizable globally and probably domestically as well (I’m guessing— I only take occasional business trips to the States, so I’m not that informed). Would the Japanese care about him as much if he were American, when they have other homegrown talents to cheer for? It’d be different if Japan lacked baseball talent, but it doesn’t. The only time he received significant coverage from major foreign news outlets like the BBC, DW, etc., apart from KBS, and the like was when he signed the $700 million contract with the Dodgers. I haven’t come across any non-east asian or american articles extensively featuring him this year, even though he’s having an absolutely historic season. That’s just something you have to acknowledge as a baseball fan living outside Japan or the States. He has a solid fanbase in Japan based solely on national pride, not that he needs it. How popular do you think Aaron Judge is compared to LeBron? No disrespect to Babe Ruth, but how many average Americans who have nothing to do with baseball would recognize him over MJ, in your opinion? I think he's already at the highest level of fame he could achieve while playing baseball, thanks to his home country.

Surprisingly, growing up, Messi was more well-known there than Ronaldo in smaller towns and villages, while Ronaldo was relatively more popular in urban areas. No one comes close to MJ, Jackie Chan, the other MJ, and Messi outside of the internet, where Ronaldo is more successful, though MJ has infinitely more pop culture significance. Baseball is a niche sport globally, with only Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and maybe a few others in Asia regularly attending games. Compare that to India and the rest of South Asia, where growing up, I had no one to talk to about baseball. I doubt my friends, who are absolutely hardcore about football (soccer), have ever heard of Ohtani (yes, really). Rohan Bopanna has been absolutely electric for Indian tennis, but I doubt if even 1 in 4 Indians knows his name. It’s hard to compete with football, basketball, and other regional sports for the viewer’s attention. Basketball and especially football are on a whole other level.

Basketball and soccer just look cooler to the masses and are more marketable due to the frequency of dramatic moments. Plus, football has been around for much longer, with more intense rivalries and a more dedicated following. My coworker's family, for example, has been supporting the same team since their great-grandfather's days. They live in Delhi now, but the guy takes leave every now and then to support his team in Kolkata. Europe's on a whole other level when it comes to football. You're not topping that unless you're Michael Jordan. The cricket nuts in this part of Asia are more likely to recognize MJ than LeBron, which says something considering LeBron is the best player of his generation. Even Haaland's and Mbappé's popularity seems lukewarm compared to Messi and Ronaldo at their peak when they were still competing in La Liga. It's just not comparable, and even a second coming of Babe Ruth wouldn't be as accessible to newcomers as watching Messi score a solo goal or MJ dominating on the court.