Michael Jordan’s reluctance to meet Nike in his rookie season has been well-documented. In what comes as an apt description of his mood, ‘His Airness’ was poker-faced when the brand pitched their offer for his signature shoes.
According to Andscape’s Aaron Dodson, who recollected 23 little stories about Jordan, one of them was about his meeting with Nike, which was narrated by Howard White, longtime vice president of the Jordan Brand.
“MJ was an Adidas guy. He loved Adidas. He wore Converse in college, but he was an Adidas man. They gave him stuff, and he loved wearing it. So, he was going to a place [Nike] he didn’t even want to be,” White recollected.
He added that MJ had his poker face on throughout the meeting, but added the brass believed they could sign the legend and the making.
“So, we talked and we pitched. I remember they played the Pointer Sisters at the end. They had this song called ‘Jump.’ They had clips of him dunking and doing his thing all different ways. I think that excited him. But he had a poker face … So, why would Nike want some young kid nobody knew? That was Sonny [Vacarro], Rob Strasser, Peter [Moore], and Phil [Knight]. They took that huge leap of faith. And you see where we are today. Sometimes, you just have to believe. Lo and behold, here I was, sitting and watching all this.”
He also added the success mantra behind the Jordan brand:
“People need something to believe in. For me, that’s what MJ was — principles, work ethic, belief. That’s not that hard to sell. And I think that’s what we did with this Jordan thing — we bottled it and sold it to the world.”
And today, MJ and the brand are synonymous, as is Nike with the Bulls legend. The relationship ran strong then and continues to do so to date.
Michael Jordan Fulfilled All Four Of Nike’s Conditions In Just One Year
Michael Jordan is a greatness for a reason. His deal with Nike was to fulfill one of the four conditions laid out by the brand. He either had to win Rookie of the Year, average 20 PPG, become an All-Star, or sell $4 million worth of shoes in a year.
And trust the Bulls icon to tick all four of them in just one year. The future six-time champion averaged 28.2 points in his rookie season, coupled with 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, and these scintillating numbers saw him win Rookie of the Year.
In the process, MJ also made the All-Star selection in his maiden stint with Chicago. And as far as selling the shoes goes, his Air Jordans sold in the number of $100 million — a mammoth number compared to Nike’s clause.
It was a win-win, and both Nike and MJ saw resounding success — one that future athletes and modern-day brands can look up to.
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