Michael Jordan has been the standard of sporting excellence for decades now, with many still regard him as one of the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived. His business success further separates him from the pack. New York Yankees’ star Jazz Chisholm Jr, who is signed to Jordan Brand, shared a story about the six-time NBA Champion where he revealed the legend refused to give 10-year-old Jazz an autograph and instead gave him a defining challenge.
“Michael Jordan had a celebrity softball game in the Bahamas. I was ten years old and Jordan’s sneaking out of the back. I asked him for his autograph. He looks at me, turns around, and says, ‘One day, make me want your autograph, kid.’ And just walks off.”
“That was like one of the main things that we worked to, is to get this Jordan deal. I already customized some painted Jordans, waiting on this to get to the big leagues. After the season, we started talking to Jordan because they saw it and they liked it. They told me, ‘try and sign a one-year deal somewhere else, and then we’ll see what we can do.'”
“I end up signing a two-year deal with Nike, but then that Jordan deal came through, and that was like, you can’t compare to that. So, I have to go and tell him that because now that I am a Jordan athlete, he has my autograph.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. became a New York Yankee in July 2024 via trade and had an instant impact on the franchise, hitting four home runs in his first three games, setting a franchise record as the first player to accomplish this feat. The Yankees are currently playing in the World Series of Baseball against the Los Angeles Dodgers, featuring generational two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
Michael Jordan innovated how athletes can leverage their image and accomplishments for personal success when dealing with major sportswear brands. The success of Nike is inextricably linked to their faith in Jordan, as indicated by not only their creation of the Air Jordan shoe line but also the Jordan Brand.
Jordan Brand brought in $6.59 billion in revenue in the 2023 fiscal year, which accounted for about 13% of Nike’s sales over the same period. Michael Jordan is a billionaire because his basketball success was directly materialized with off-court earnings as people flocked to buy his shoes.
Now, Jordan Brand empowers and creates financial opportunities for more athletes as its own spinoff under Nike. Currently, NBA superstars such as Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero, and many others are signed with Jordan Brand.
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