IN THE wake of basketball legend Michael Jordan buying his own club, the question is who is the most powerful sportsman in the world.

Is it Johnson? He has just parted with a reported $275million to become the first former player to become a majority owner of a National Basketball Association team, the Charlotte Bobcats.

The man who won six NBA titles and was crowned the NBA’s Most Valuable Player no fewer than five times, declared after his mega investment: “I plan to make this franchise an organisation that Charlotte can be proud of.”

For all those noteworthy and heartfelt comments from the ex-Chicago Bulls guard, it remains genuinely difficult to warm to any sporting organisation described as a “franchise” or “organisation”.

It’s like the soul and spirit have been surgically removed and replaced by bank balances and shareholder dividends.

Still, you cannot fault Jordan’s commitment.

But his claims to be the world’s principal sportsman don’t carry major credence. As big as basketball is in the USA and, as towering as Jordan’s reputation is, the sport does not possess truly global clout.

Unlike football, whose influence will be ratcheted up many-fold this summer when the World Cup starts in South Africa.

Two personalities who will not even figure in the summer extravaganza hogged the headlines more greedily than pigs in muck.

Porcine portions snouted around both David Beckham and Jose Mourinho. We’ll take the latter first, as no doubt he would himself.

Mourinho bowled into his former Chelsea stamping ground at the head of an Inter Milan team who delivered a Champions League coup de grace to a west London club destined never to touch European greatness.

But for all the build-up before and all the lavish praise after, you would never have thought the Milanese players had done the business over 90 minutes to brusquely conquer Chelsea. It was all down to Jose himself, the master of self-congratulation and self-publication, who has more smoke and mirrors about him than if the Palace of Versailles were to go up in flames.

Jaw-jutting Jose would surely lay claim to being the world’s most forceful sporting personality simply because…zzzzzzzzzz.

Beckham, on the other hand, was thrust back into international headlines after the San Siro turf ripped open his hopes of becoming the first Englishman to play in four World Cups.

His torn Achilles tendon also catapulted him back into world consciousness as he hopped from chauffeured jeep to plane to limo to plane from Italy to Finland, where he had surgery, on to England and back to Los Angeles.

There was even a bulletin from PM Gordon Brown expressing concern. The media rush was akin to a diplomatic mission or presidential visit. Popes don’t get as much coverage.

Brand Beckham may not be playing in South Africa, but the influence of the man whose name has sold legions of replica shirts in every continent will still be felt.

But even the Becks factor is eclipsed by one sportsman who has been absent from his particular field of expertise – Tiger Woods.

The world’s number one golfer announced he will return for his first tournament since lurid details of his private life surfaced four months ago. He will start sporting healing at the US Masters next month, the Augusta arena representing a closeted haven.

Like worn-out ground at any municipal course, Woods’ reputation is under repair. But for all his sins, golf will welcome him with open arms as many pundits believe the game will never again attain the heights enjoyed in his pomp until he is back on the tee tearing up courses around the world.

One television pundit did not even want to speculate how the game would cope once Woods finally leaves the gallery. There you go, that’s an entire sport, whole industry dependent on one man.

Tiger Woods – the most powerful sportsman in the world.