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Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest if not the greatest to play the game of Basketball. With the third pick of the NBA draft Jordan was selected by the Chicago Bulls. Little did the world know what was next.
Prior to joining the NBA Jordan had several accomplishments. He led the Tarheels to a National Title in 1982. Jordan also helped bring home basketball gold for the U.S. during the 1984 Olympics.
When Michael Jordan joined the league he signed an endorsement deal with Nike worth over $2 million. This was unheard of for any basketball player at this time. Especially one that had not proven themselves yet.
In 1985 the Paul Moore designed Air Jordan 1 debuted. It featured leather overlays for durability and a perforated toe box. Prior to the jumpman logo there was the wing logo.
Sneaker legend has it that this shoe was banned because it violated the league’s 51 percent rule. Which stated that any part of the NBA uniform had to be 51 percent white. This rule was later removed in the 2000s.
The lore also states that Jordan was fined $5000 per game that he wore these sneakers. Which Nike happily paid because it meant publicity.
When Nike released the Jordan they planned on making $3 million over five years. Those expectations were met and then some when the 1s made $126 million the first year. As of 2021 Nike has seen revenue from Jordan brand sneakers of almost $5 billion. It seems like that initial endorsement deal was worth it. Stayed tuned as sneaker geeks brings you more Jordan reviews.
