How Nike landed Michael Jordan
The promotional value of having Michael Jordan wear Nike shoes was every bit as important as the revenue he generated.
All Michael Jordan wanted to wear was adidas in the NBA.
Although he wore Converse at North Carolina, because his coach Dean Smith was getting paid about $10,000 a year to put the brand on his players, the German make was his dream.
But adidas wasn’t making an offer. It wasn’t that they thought Jordan wasn't worth anything; they were just caught at a bad time. After company founder Adi Dassler died in 1978, his wife, Kathe, took over the business. But she had her son, Horst, and her four daughters each running separate divisions.
The husbands of the daughters also were closely involved, which didn't make things easy. By the time of the Jordan negotiations, tensions were high and thoughts of a succession plan were a top priority as Kathe was not in good health. She died later that year.
“They were definitely in a state of flux,” said Frank Craighill, who represented Horst at the time. “It wasn't an easy thing to split."
Jordan was extremely disappointed.
Michael didn’t want to show up at Converse headquarters, but because of his relationship with Smith, he went.
“We’re sitting in the conference room and they’re saying things like, ‘We are basketball,’” Jordan's agent David Falk recalled. “They’re telling us that they have Magic, Bird, Dr. J and Mark Aguirre...
How Nike landed Michael Jordan
The promotional value of having Michael Jordan wear Nike shoes was every bit as important as the revenue he generated.
All Michael Jordan wanted to wear was adidas in the NBA.
Although he wore Converse at North Carolina, because his coach Dean Smith was getting paid about $10,000 a year to put the brand on his players, the German make was his dream.
But adidas wasn’t making an offer. It wasn’t that they thought Jordan wasn't worth anything; they were just caught at a bad time. After company founder Adi Dassler died in 1978, his wife, Kathe, took over the business. But she had her son, Horst, and her four daughters each running separate divisions.
The husbands of the daughters also were closely involved, which didn't make things easy. By the time of the Jordan negotiations, tensions were high and thoughts of a succession plan were a top priority as Kathe was not in good health. She died later that year.
“They were definitely in a state of flux,” said Frank Craighill, who represented Horst at the time. “It wasn't an easy thing to split."
Jordan was extremely disappointed.
Michael didn’t want to show up at Converse headquarters, but because of his relationship with Smith, he went.
“We’re sitting in the conference room and they’re saying things like, ‘We are basketball,’” Jordan's agent David Falk recalled. “They’re telling us that they have Magic, Bird, Dr. J and Mark Aguirre...
How Nike landed Michael Jordan
