How much does Michael Jordan make from Nike deal? Contract, duration, and more

"How much money does Michael Jordan make from Nike?" is something many basketball fans have wondered about. With a net worth of around $2 billion, Jordan is the wealthiest former athlete and most of his money comes from the footwear company.

MJ was a breakout star from the moment he joined the NBA. Nike took their chances with him and signed him to a 5-year deal worth $2.5 million, which was a record-breaking deal at the time.

Eventually, the basketball legend and Nike launched Jordan Brand, a sub-division of the company. The brand has become so successful that the 6-time NBA champion has made more than a billion dollars from it.

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Michael Jordan has made more from Nike than he has from his NBA contracts

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. He spent 15 years in the NBA, winning six championships, five MVP awards, 14 All-Star selections, 10 scoring titles and much, much more.

Despite all these amazing achievements, the Chicago Bulls legend was paid only $94 million from his playing contracts. To put this into perspective, LeBron James will make more than $97 million in the next two years with the LA Lakers.

Jordan made under $100 million from his playing contracts (Image via Getty Images)

Fortunately, Air Jordan doesn't need to rely on the money he made as a player. His deal with Nike pays him so much that he made approximately $256 million from it in 2022. This is almost three times more than what he made during his entire 15-year career.

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The legendary shooting guard does not have a fixed deal with Nike that pays him by the hour or anything like that. Instead, Michael Jordan gets royalties from the footwear company.

More specifically, Jordan gets 5% of the earnings from Jordan Brand. Considering that the brand made over $5 billion in 2022, Jordan's cut was very significant.

How much does Michael Jordan make from Nike? A lot! (Image via Getty Images)

According to Centuro Global, Michael Jordan has made approximately $1.3 billion from his Nike deal until 2020. Considering that the last two years were very successful and profitable for the sneaker brand, this number is likely around $1.6 billion in 2023.

The duration of Jordan's contract with Nike is unclear. However, he likely signed a lifetime deal with the company. If not, the basketball Hall of Famer will still keep collecting checks from the earnings of his brand as long as it's profitable.

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Jordan shoes have always been very popular. Considering that Jordan Brand makes billions a year, it's unlikely that their sales will slow down anytime soon.

Michael Jordan's Nike deal enabled other players to strike favorable contracts

Michael Jordan's landmark deal with Nike which saw him net $2.5 million over 5 years, ensured that the landscape for upcoming players looking for shoe deals improved. Modern-day NBA has multiple examples of this, as most of the marquee players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry have their own shoe deals with major brands like Nike and Under Armor.

Jordan's flair and winning mentality complemented with his off-court charisma also played a major role in the Nike deal working out. In fact, it can even be argued that the American brand ended up getting the better end of the deal despite Jordan ending up being a billionaire.