When Chicago Bulls owner Jonathan Kovler rejected Michael Jordan's request for attendance clause in contract: "He'd better put people in the seats"
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest and most popular basketball player of all-time. Long before his stardom exploded, the six-time NBA champion's agent, David Falk, requested an attendance clause in his rookie contract, which the team denied.
Speaking to Marvin R. Shanken of Cigar Aficionado, Jordan was asked about his original contract, revealing:
"Financially? People are going to love this. It was a seven-year deal. I averaged about $850,000 a year. The first year's compensation was $650,000. There was no signing bonus. We tried to get an attendance clause. They were averaging 6,000 people a game."
Jordan continued:
"So we thought, OK, we're going to ask for an attendance clause. At the time, Jonathan Kovler was the owner. My agent, David Falk, went in and asked for that. Kovler said, We're not going to give him an attendance clause because if we draft him at the three spot, he'd better put people in the seats. So they never gave us an attendance clause."
Nobody could foresee the amount of eyes Jordan would bring to the Chicago Bulls. The five-time NBA MVP remains the most popular star the league has ever seen. Nearly two and a half decades later, the 1998 NBA Finals remains the most-watched postseason series of all-time, while Game 6 remains the most-watched postseason game of all-time.
Check out Michael Jordan's highlights below:
Michael Jordan revealed that he nearly joined the New York Knicks
Michael Jordan is remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, in which he dominated the 1990s. The NBA Hall of Famer revealed that he nearly left the Bulls amid disagreements during contract negotiations. If he did not remain with Chicago, the New York Knicks, who Jordan eliminated from the postseason five times in his career, were his top choice in free agency.
Speaking to Marvin R. Shanken of Cigar Aficionado, Jordan revealed:
"We had one occasion when there was a dialogue. It must have been in 1996 or 1997 because of my contract situation in Chicago. But nothing ever really materialized."
Jordan continued:
"If Chicago had not made a significant offer, New York was next. We actually had a dialogue with New York. If a phone call didn't come in 30 minutes from Chicago, we had already given assurances that we would have gone to the Knicks for less money."
While it would be hard to envision Jordan playing for the rival Knicks, it is likely that the franchise's 50-year championship drought would have been snapped as Jordan would have been teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. Instead, he went on to continue to win championships as a member of the Bulls.
Check out Michael Jordan's postseason highlights below: