"They were a third-rate in basketball"- Despite making over $1 billion from Nike, Michael Jordan was actually hesitant to sign with the iconic brand
Michael Jordan and Nike have formed a multi-billion business partnership since the former North Carolina star agreed to sign for the then-fledgling running company. The iconic and ever-expanding status of the two may not have even started based on historical accounts.
Chris Tucker, who plays a prominent role in the movie “Air,” explained why Jordan could have refused to don “The Swoosh.” Here’s what the actor had to say about how MJ viewed Nike in the early '80s (via the Big Tigger Morning Show):
“You know in ’84, it was Adidas, Puma or Converse. It wasn’t Nike. Nike was a jogging shoe. So Michael’s mom said, 'You’re going to all these meetings. You got to see what they got to offer.'
"His mama. His mama made him go to all the different shoe companies, you know the meeting and stuff. And they [Nike] were a third-rate in basketball, but of course, it was big in jogging."
Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
Amazon's drama on Nike will release in theaters on April 5th — titled "AIR."
The film follows Nike's pursuit of Michael Jordan in the 80s, starring:
▪️ Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
▪️ Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
▪️ Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan
▪️ Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser https://t.co/okB1ddEJiX
When Michael Jordan entered the NBA, Nike wasn’t on the same level as Adidas, Converse and Puma. Jordan wanted to sign for Adidas as he wore their shoes back in North Carolina and the Olympics.
Phil Knight anchored his company on the quality of his running and jogging shoes such as the Cortez and the Tailwind. Getting Jordan to sign for them was a success that no one thought would change sneakers and cultural history.
In episode five of “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan had this to say about his mother’s adamant instructions before signing a shoe deal:
'You're going to go listen. You may not like it, but you're going to go listen. [I] go into that meeting not wanting to be there, and Nike made this big pitch.
“My father said, ‘You’d have to be a fool not taking this deal. This is the best deal.'"
Michael Jordan wearing black Nike Air Ships and practicing in Madison Square Garden (October 17, 1984)
David Stern came to this pre-season game and said, "Like everyone, I came to see Jordan play." https://t.co/b0nCKqikhJ
Nike’s offer to Jordan was $500K a year for five years, the Air Jordan line and two Mercedes cars.
If Jordan’s parents had not been so strong-willed, the NBA and Sneakers history would have been so different.
Listen to Chris Tucker's interview here.
Michael Jordan continues to generate the biggest revenue for Nike
When Nike successfully signed Michael Jordan to a five-year contract in 1984, they were projected to earn $3 million in roughly four years. They didn’t expect “Air Jordan” would become a cultural phenomenon that would be the company’s cash cow for four decades.
Last year, the Air Jordan brand generated $3 million in sales every five hours for Nike. “His Airness” roughly earned $256.1 million out of that staggering number. Over the past five years, Jordan’s line has brought in $19.4 billion for Phil Knight’s company.
When MJ was still active, players wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Jordan influenced a whole generation of players. That may no longer be the case with Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant acting as today’s basketball superstars.
Michael Jordan’s hold, though, on footwear remains as pervasive and culturally strong as ever.
You may also like to read: When Michael Jordan’s shoes were banned by the NBA, costing him $5,000 every game he wore them