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Nike was in trouble. In 1984 he presented his first quarter in red and needed to strengthen his other units, beyond athletics. That’s why bet on a young rookie who promises to be the next basketball star. They signed a million-dollar contract and created a whole line around his figure. The brand would be a bestseller, while the player would become one of the greatest athletes in history.
Actually, Michael Jordan wanted to sign with Adidas. During his tenure as a player for the University of North Carolina team he had worn Converse sneakers, which were the main label of the NBA. However, he company had other stars under his wing, such as Larry Bird and “Magic” Johnson. For his part, the brand with the three strips was in full succession of leadership of the company.
After standing out in the university league, MJ had just been chosen to play his first season as a rookie with the Chicago Bulls. While, Nike was looking for a diamond in the rough that would allow it to enhance its basketball vertical. Converse had offered him $100,000 a year, but these numbers and being outshone by other figures did not convince the Jordans. So, they went to the offices of the company founded by Phil Knight.
The proposal
The company team showed him the design they had in mind for him. But that was not all, they were willing to adapt it however he wanted. In addition, they offered him a $500,000 annual contract for a total of five years. that was how Michael Jordan signed with Nike in 1984.
During his first matches, MJ wore the Nike Air Ship. shortly after the Air Jordan I debuted on the court. It was a red and black model inspired by the colors of the Chicago Bulls. However, this brought him problems because NBA rules indicated that the players’ footwear must be mainly white.
The NBA fined him $5,000 for each game he used them.. Nike saw an opportunity and decided to pay for the 23rd to continue using them and thus increase the exposure and publicity of his new business. The firm projected to bill US$3 million during the first year, instead heas Air Jordan sold for more than $120 million. The first iteration hit stores in March 1985 and cost $65 a pair.
The man in the air
The Air Jordan I and II did not have the iconic Jumpman logobut they carried the Nike pipe and an isologo made up of a basketball, two wings and the name of the label. Just in 1987with the launch of the Air Jordan III, its emblem appeared that would become a cult object.
The original photo that inspired the logo was first published in a Life magazine photo shoot in 1984. In these images, Jordan wears New Balance sneakers. Therefore, to promote his brand, Nike replicated that photoshoot, but with the new shoe design. And these were the images used to create the silhouette that has been used for 36 years.
The brand’s success was leveraged on MJ’s prolific career, which includes six NBA championships, among other titles. But with fraud nearing the end of his career, the company feared that removing him would hurt sales. Therefore, they decided to make the brand independent.
walk separately
In September 1997before starting his last season with the Bulls, Michael Jordan Jordan brand present. He did it accompanied by a group of basketball promises that would be his new athletes, including Michael Finley, Eddie Jones and Ray Allen. Although MJ did retire after winning the 97-98 season, he returned in 2001 to play for the Washington Wizards until the final end of his career in 2003.
Already separated from the Nike umbrella, Jordan branched out into other disciplines. She began dressing American football and baseball players. In turn, she added other clothing items to her portfolio, such as caps, t-shirts, and jackets. The brand even became a sponsor of some soccer teams. For example, between 2018 and 2022 he appeared in the PSG shirt, with Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbapp as figures.
Today, the label continues under the wing of the pipe brand, although its numbers are separate from its parent company. In 2022, according to the company’s annual report, Jordan invoiced more than US$ 5,122 million. The first trailer for “Air” recently premiered, the film directed by Ben Affleck that will tell how Air Jordan was created.
