"Give me the most expensive wine": 18 years ago, Michael Jordan schooled his legendary $50-million-worth agent in a memorable lesson to silence him
Keeping Michael Jordan quiet came at a cost, and his agent David Falk realized it the hard way.
The former Chicago Bulls legend had his ways of getting things done, be it on or off the basketball court. One of those instances involved schooling his renowned manager.
Speaking to Marvin R. Shanken, the editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado in 2005, Jordan recollected when he ordered the most expensive wine in the restaurant to teach Falk a lesson when the latter wouldn't let the star get his two cents in.
"We had a dinner meeting, and I couldn't get a word in. The meal was on his company bill. Anytime he orders wine, or orders anything, he checks the price. But that night he was taking time out from what we were discussing to make sure about the price.
"So now I say, Give me the most expensive wine, and he's picking up the tab. Then, I say, Every time you interrupt what we're talking about, I'm going to order another bottle. When I started ordering the '61s, I quieted him right down, and we got through the conversation. That is a true story."
Falk, who's best known for representing Jordan for the entirety of his NBA career, was always regarded as a shrewd negotiator.
Falk - who was a net worth of $50 million - was also responsible for dealing with the then-highest contracts in league history for Patrick Ewing and Danny Ferry. His company, FAME, also changed the salary structure landscape in the NBA, negotiating more than $400 million in contracts for his clients during free agency.
However, when it came to Michael Jordan, Falk had to learn his lesson the expensive way by paying for a few more '61s than he had hoped to order that evening.
David Falk took care of Michael Jordan's endorsements and business deals
In the same interview, Michael Jordan spoke about how his agent was instrumental in taking care of all things not basketball. That helped the six-time NBA champion focus on taking care of business on the floor.
"When I came into the pros, I never knew anything about the business aspect outside of basketball. All I focused on was basketball. The beauty was what my agents, David Falk and Donald Dell, did back in the Bulls days."
Falk was also pivotal in helping Michael Jordan land his plush contract with Nike after the 1984 NBA draft.
The sports giant was then a lesser-known name in basketball compared to Converse and Adidas. While the Chicago Bulls legend's choice of going with Adidas was well-documented, his agent, along with some great work from Nike, ensured that Jordan made the right move. That has now become one of the more legendary stories in NBA history.