“They were third-rated” - Chris Tucker on Michael Jordan’s hesitations around signing with Nike

Michael Jordan's legacy is more intertwined with basketball than any other player in the history of the sport. The six-time champion has become larger than life, notably due to his shoe and apparel brand, which reported $4.8 billion in earnings in 2021.

Sparked by the newest movie, "Air," about Nike's pursuit of Michael Jordan as the face of their brand, there is plenty of discussion around the origin of the deal. The relationship was not as seamless as it appears, with actor Chris Tucker saying it was Jordan's mother who drove him to Nike.

"His mama. His mama made him go to all the different shoe companies, you know the meeting and stuff," Chris Tucker said. “And they were third-rated in basketball, but of course it was big in jogging. But they got the percentage of the shoe and I know she loved me. So this movie is about Dad, mom, relationship and business.”

While Nike is currently one of the biggest apparel companies in the world, it was not always this way. In 1984, when Jordan was fielding potential shoe deals, it was Adidas, Puma and Converse that made the biggest waves.

Michael Jordan does not appear in the film but made some specific requests about the movie. One of his biggest demands was that the movie would feature Howard White, the current vice president at Jordan Brand. He played a significant role in Jordan's relationship with Nike when the deal originated.

Michael Jordan's success with Jordan Brand

Having players featured and representing a brand is common, but Michael Jordan took things to a new level. The Jumpman logo has become one of the most recognizable symbols across the world.

After being a Nike athlete at the start of his career, Nike and Jordan Brand elected to let the Air Jordan line operate 100% independently in 1997. It was a show of good faith as Jordan ascended to being the most popular athlete across the NBA.

This risk has paid off in a major way as Jordan Brand has grown into one of the largest apparel brands ever created. In 2022 alone, the company pulled in $5.1 billion, with Jordan's 5% split being worth $256.1 million.

The "Air" movie is out in theaters now and can be seen for a peak behind the curtains at how the deal came together. It has received 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes so far and the reception to it has been impressive.