The Legend, His Airness, MJ and the G.O.A.T. There are many nicknames you can associate this person with. 61 years ago, on 17 February 1963, he was born: Michael Jordan. Many people recognise him as one of the most iconic and successful athletes of all time, or from his still wildly popular collaboration with Nike. But what did his life look like?
Michael's youth
Originally, Michael was born in Brooklyn, New York. Although he spent his younger years in Wilmington, North Carolina. Here he lived with his parents, James Jordan and Deloris Jordan, and his siblings. Michael developed his competitive streak early on. This was mainly due to his older brother Larry, who shared the same passion for basketball as Michael.
He attended school at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington. The sports-interested Michael tried to play basketball on the high school basketball team in his second year, but with his 1.80 metres, he still turned out to be too small so he was not admitted. After growing 10 centimetres and playing on the junior basketball team for a while, he was accepted into the school's basketball team for the last two seasons.
After several offers from different universities, Michael accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Here he studied Cultural Geography, as he was interested in a career as a meteorologist. He dropped out a year before graduation and signed up for the NBA draft in 1984. Amazingly, Michael Jordan was the third pick of the Chicago Bulls and they actually wanted to trade him at the last minute.
Contract with Nike
Back in the days when Converse and adidas still ruled the roost when it came to basketball shoes, Michael Jordan came around the corner. Nike was successful in selling running shoes, but was not yet taken seriously with basketball shoes in the 1980s. In 1984, Nike wanted to change this. Like the rest of the NBA, Nike saw that Michael was special and that he could still change the basketball world.
Jordan wanted nothing to do with Nike and declared that he wanted to wear the shoes of the big competitor: adidas. After much persuasion from his management, his mother advised Michael that he should go with Nike instead of adidas. Nike was the "upstart" and consequently came with an offer a rookie could not refuse.
Michael signed a record-breaking $2.5 million contract with Nike and he was given a personalised shoe line. Nike's goal with the Air Jordan line was to make $3 million in sales in the first three years. Beyond all expectations, they earned $126 million in the first year alone.
Interested in learning more about this story? Then make sure to check out the film “AIR”. That takes us back to that period in 1984, when Nike Marketing Executive Sonny Vaccaro took a chance on Michael Jordan. Read more here >>
The Air Jordan 1 'Banned'
The original Air Jordan is coloured in black and red, the colours of the Chicago Bulls. Peter Moore was the mastermind behind this design and consequently designed the famous Jumpman and Wing logos. According to NBA regulations, the Air Jordans did not comply.
The basketball shoes of the time had to be largely white and contain small colour accents; those who did not comply were fined $5,000 per game. Nike saw this as the ultimate marketing ploy and paid each fine nicely for Michael. This gave the Air Jordan Bred the nickname: Banned.
Shattered Backboard
A powerful run-up, unwise high jump and casual dunk led to one of the most iconic sneaker stories ever. During a 1985 practice match in Trieste, Italy, the impact of Jordan's dunk was so great that the glass backboard broke into millions of pieces. After two opponents were buried under the glass pieces and the pitch became a huge mess, the match was stopped immediately.
Michael was always known for his acrobatic moves while scoring and he proved this once again during this match dressed in an orange-black uniform. The game was sponsored by Nike and ended with a score of 112-113 for Jordan's team. Nike has named a pair after the well-known moment: the Air Jordan 1 'Shattered Backboard'.
A fun fact: The original Air Jordans Michael wore that match were recently sold for $615,000 and still contained small pieces of glass in the outsoles.
"Be Like Mike"
Besides being a top athlete, Michael Jordan was also seen as an influential person. Indeed, US sports drinks brand Gatorade released a campaign in 1992. Inspired by the song "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book, they wrote a lyric about Michael. The slogan "Be Like Mike" became one of the most powerful slogans of all time.
Although the advertising did not drastically improve Gatorade sales, it did help portray Jordan as a likable and inspiring superstar. Everyone wanted to be like Michael! Our eyes naturally went to the Nike Air Jordan 6 'Carmine', which he wore throughout the campaign.
The death of Michael's father
James Jordan, Michael's father, died unexpectedly on 23 July 1993. James was killed after taking a nap in a highway car park after a long car ride to his home in Charlotte. Only 10 days later, on 3 August, James' body was found in a swamp near Bennettsville. A 20- and 21-year-old were soon arrested for the murder.
Michael was hugely devastated by his father's death. At a press conference on 6 October 1993 at Deerfield, the Bulls' training complex, Michael stunned the world. At 30, he announced his first retirement and declared that he no longer had any interest in playing basketball. Not long after, in 1994, Jordan made a career switch and signed with a Minor League Baseball team.
"I'm Back"
The career switch stemmed from James Jordan's love of baseball. Michael wanted to pay tribute to his father by playing his favourite sport. He started his baseball career with the Chicago White Sox and trained in Sarasota, Florida, US. The White Sox owner at the time also owned the Chicago Bulls, so Michael's basketball contract remained valid.
This was just as well, because after two seasons playing baseball at a lower level, he quit as well. The same year, he rejoined the Chicago Bulls and resumed his basketball career, after sending out a press release to the world with the legendary words, "I'm Back."
In 1999, Michael announced his final retirement. On 16 April 2003, he played his very last game with the Washington Wizards, where he scored 13 points. In closing, Michael received a 3-minute standing ovation from all in attendance. Michael's influence in the Bulls team of the 1990s was huge and global.
This was apparently what the Miami Heat team thought too. They decided to retire Jordan's jersey number, number 23, as well. While Jordan never played for the Miami Heat during his career in the NBA, they still wanted to honour his legacy and show respect. Soon after, the Chicago Bulls followed suit, with the idea that Michael Jordan is considered one of the best players to ever play for the Chicago Bulls.
The last dance
It has now been more than 20 years since Michael Jordan stepped onto the NBA basketball court. Michael Jordan's legacy is of deep significance; he completely changed the basketball and sneaker world. In the documentary series 'The Last Dance' on Netflix, flashbacks and stories depict the full life of His Airness. It's definitely worth a look, dear community.
In honour of Michael's birthday, the Air Jordan 4 'Bred Reimagined' will also celebrate its release on 17 February 2023. Check out our release calendar for more upcoming Air Jordan releases.