Who is Michael Jordan's agent? Finding out more about the Bulls legend
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest player in NBA history. To this day, Jordan remains one of the most popular athletes in all of sports and boasts an estimated $2 billion net worth. Most of Jordan’s success can be attributed to his elite basketball talent, however, his long-time agent, David Falk, also played a massive role in his ascension.
Falk is widely regarded as the most powerful sports agent of all time. In addition to representing Jordan throughout the entirety of his career, Falk has represented over 100 other NBA players. At one point, Falk even had at least one client on nearly every single team in the NBA.
After signing Michael Jordan as the No. 3 pick in the 1984 NBA draft, Falk helped Jordan land his first shoe deal with Nike. Nike wasn’t a major basketball shoe company at the time, however, the company’s partnership with Jordan would go on to alter the future of the brand.
Jordan’s first shoe deal consisted of him receiving $500,000 annually over five years as well as a small revenue share. His shoe line was expected to earn Nike around $3 million over the first three to four years. However, the “Air Jordan” brand quickly took off, earning Nike $126 million in Year 1.
The deal became the precursor to many future deals between Jordan and Nike. As of 2020, it was estimated that Jordan had made a total of $1.3 billion through his partnership with Nike.
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In addition to negotiating his shoe deal, Falk helped market Jordan and turned him into a global superstar. The Bulls star went on to receive countless product endorsements from prominent companies such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. Falk was also the one who came up with the premise for Jordan’s iconic 90s film “Space Jam.” Falk then sold the rights to the film to Warner Bros.
Falk also made the bold decision to opt Jordan out of the NBA’s licensing program, which gave Jordan full control over his own image. With Falk’s help, Jordan became the most successful product endorser in America.
Jordan won six NBA titles, six NBA Finals MVPs and five regular-season MVPs, among numerous other accolades over his illustrious 15-year NBA career.
Michael Jordan on David Falk’s negotiating skills
During an interview with USA Today, Michael Jordan spoke about what makes David Falk such a successful negotiator. He attributed Falk's success to his persistence and ability to get under people’s skin:
“A lot of people don't like David, but he's the best at what he does,” Jordan said.
“What he does is get underneath your skin, whoever he's negotiating with, because he figures out what your objectives are, your angles. He understands the market; he understands the players," he continued.
"He's a brash, arrogant, egotistical, aggressive negotiator, which is good, because when you have someone represent you, you want him to do that. Marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of ‘Air Jordan.’”
In his book “Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made,” author David Halberstam described Jordan and Falk’s relationship as mutually beneficial. This comes as Jordan made a name for Falk with his play on the court while Falk turned Jordan into a commercial superstar:
“Michael Jordan and David Falk helped make each other, and each profited to a remarkable degree from their special collaboration,” Halberstam wrote.
“It is true that Michael Jordan was the person who in the end actually did the deeds, went on the court and hit the final jump shot again and again, but it is also true that David Falk helped revolutionize the process of representing a basketball player, going into a team sport and creating the idea of the individual player as a commercial superstar.”