you can say the exact same thing if you turn it around. i'm not saying Britney Spears is on Beckham's level; you said that nobody in Asia would know who famous Americans were (lol), i'm trying to say to you that there are many Americans who are popular in Asia.

the huge popularity in basketball throughout Asia and especially China, not to mention Jordan's impact on the world's biggest sporting brand makes him an extremely recognisable figure. the 1992 "dream team" makes Jordan an equally big figure in Europe.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-06-06/sports/9806060051_1_lothar-matthaeus-world-cup-soccer

"In France, more people know Michael Jordan than the players on the French national team," said Jean-Luc Thomas, basketball editor of the French sports daily L'Equipe, which chose Jordan as its Champion of Champions for 1992. No basketball player previously had earned that distinction.

In a German poll taken before the 1994 World Cup, young people were asked whether they would rather spend one day as Jordan or Lothar Matthaeus, then captain of Germany's defending soccer world champions. A stunning 35 percent in soccer-mad Germany preferred Jordan.