Colin Cowherd talks about how a marketing plan made Michael Jordan immune to criticism - "The most brilliant campaign ever"
Michael Jordan is already in talks to sell enough shares of the Charlotte Hornets franchise with the Hornets' minority owner Gabe Plotkin and the minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks, Rick Schnall.
The deal would end Jordan's 13-year run as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. On his podcast, Colin Cowherd had this to say on the matter:
"You can criticize every basketball player ever — except for Michael Jordan"
"You can criticize every basketball player ever — except for Michael Jordan"
—@ColinCowherd gets real about how Michael Jordan is shielded from criticism https://t.co/0GZ3ngvLCu
Michael Jordan is recognized as one of the greatest basketball players to have played for the NBA. With Jordan being a popular figure in the sport of basketball, the same can be said about his Air Jordan brand.
Speaking about the same, Colin Cowherd said:
"Think of the power of the Air Jordan marketing campaign. Probably the most brilliant campaign ever. It's created a tefflon shield around Michael, so that when he punches Steve Kerr...well you know, he's just very competitive. If Draymond Green punches Jordan Poole, a cocky trashtalking reserve...throw him out of the league"
At the time, Nike was not the mega-brand it is today. The shoe company took a gamble in offering Michael Jordan a deal worth $500,000 per year for five years. Nike wanted to expand its brand on the basketball map as they were only known for making shoes for track athletes.
Nike made the shoes available for public purchase on April1, 1985 and ended up selling 450,000 pairs in just the first month of its release.
Michael Jordan has found immense success in his career in the NBA as he has also cemented his own legacy in its history. However, the player could never manifest the success he had on the basketball court onto his job as the owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
Michael Jordan as the Charlotte Hornets' owner
In the 17 seasons of the Hornets, with Michael Jordan as the owner, they have only made the playoffs three times and failed to win a single playoff series.
The team found some success when Kemba Walker was the focal point of the franchise, but Jordan was unable to provide the necessary pieces to build around Walker properly.
The Charlotte Hornets (23-50) are 14th in the Eastern Conference standings this season with another missed opportunity to make the playoffs. With the imminent change happening for the management of the Charlotte Hornets as Michael Jordan plans to sell majority of his stake, it will be interesting to see where the franchise goes from there.