Grammy-winning R&B singer Anthony Hamilton went on Club Shay Shay and disclosed that Michael Jordan had been financing portions of his career since the beginning.
“Michael Jordan supported me from day one. A lot of the tours and stuff, he sponsored a lot of things for me. And I’ve been getting some Jordans from him.”
Hamilton is one of the most respected voices in contemporary R&B. His 2003 breakthrough Comin’ From Where I’m From announced a raw, Southern-soul talent who’d spent years grinding on the margins of the music industry. He followed it with Ain’t Nobody Worryin’, a Grammy Award-winning album that cemented his place in the canon. Through all of it, the tours, the albums, the road work, Jordan was a behind-the-scenes backer, funding the infrastructure that let Hamilton’s artistry reach the world.
The relationship extended beyond financial support and into Jordan Brand itself. In 2015, Hamilton joined a Jordan Brand trip that included a design competition. His team, which, by his own account, included Kawhi Leonard and Carmelo Anthony, won. Each winning team member received the right to design a custom pair of Jordans in any two colors they chose.
Hamilton picked chocolate brown and gum. He’d simply never seen that combination on a pair of Jays, and no one else had either. The result is now recognized as one of the rarest pieces in Jordan history, a colorway with no parallel among player exclusives, Friends & Family pairs, or even Michael’s own personal shoes.
The shoe reflects the depth of access Hamilton earned. Jordan Brand’s PE ecosystem is among the most exclusive in sneaker culture, and a genuine one-of-one colorway doesn’t happen without years of real trust.
The financial backdrop matters: Jordan’s net worth sits at approximately $4.5 billion, with Nike paying him over $250 million annually from the Jordan Brand alone, a line that generates more than $6 billion in revenue each year.
Yet the scale of his wealth is only part of the story. The decision to invest in Hamilton early was intentional. It showed an eye for talent and a willingness to support it without immediate return.
Hamilton’s career now spans decades. He is respected across the industry for consistency and authenticity. His journey reflects persistence, but it also includes key support at the right time. Jordan saw that potential early. He backed it quietly. And in doing so, he helped shape a career that might have taken a very different path without that support.
