LeBron James’ Agent Breaks Down Michael Jordan’s Mythical Persona Created by Nike

Nike broke all the conventional rules to lure Michael Jordan to sign with them when the superstar was about to enter the NBA.

LeBron James’ Agent Breaks Down Michael Jordan’s Mythical Persona Created by Nike

Rich Paul and Michael Jordan (Image via FirstSportz)

When Michael Jordan came into the NBA, he started a trend of designer signature sneakers that was going to change the landscape of sports apparel forever.

Even though he wanted to stick with Adidas, Nike’s pitch, especially with the sneaker design and the payouts on every shoe sold, was too good to pass up.

Today, even though the 6-time champion made most of his wealth from selling the Charlotte Hornets, buying it would not have been possible unless those millions from Air Jordan sales went into his bank accounts.

To this day, every superstar athlete signing a signature sneaker deal knows they will never be as popular as Michael Jordan’s shoes. Rich Paul, LeBron James‘ agent, detailed on his Game Over Podcast how Nike helped create the phenomenon around the Chicago Bulls superstar.

He detailed how Nike first created the concept of ‘Air’ using R. Kelly‘s song, ‘I believe I can fly‘, to set everything in motion. The commercials showing actors jumping over cars and elevating for dunks established the notion that Air Jordans were a different breed of sneakers.

Then, when Gatorade produced the commercial, ‘Be Like Mike‘, it further created Michael Jordan’s persona. With the NBA and media covering him more than anyone else, every eyeball was on the North Carolina alum.

Rich Paul summed up his dissertation by claiming that the eventual Hall of Famer, along with Nike and the rest of the stakeholders, created the greatest athlete brand ever and ultimately controlled the market.

Rich Paul compares Michael Jordan to Michael Jackson

While discussing Michael Jordan and his Jordan Brand, Rich Paul concluded by comparing the Chicago Bulls’ greatness to another pop culture phenomenon of the time.

Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson
Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson (Image via Hoops History/FB)

There’s been two mythological people. Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.

Rich Paul said

The super agent detailed how the mythical image of Jordan forced Nike to change the release dates of his shoes after schools complained of students skipping class to line up outside their stores.

Paul himself detailed how, before it became an easy-to-acquire product, owning an Air Jordan was big enough for him to secretly move around in his neighborhood to avoid being spotted by criminals looking to score such shoes easily.

He was distrustful of his own neighbors, people he grew up with, knowing how coveted the sneakers on his feet were for those who were incapable of standing hours in lines, or camping overnight outside stores.

That was similar to the King of Pop’s impact on communities, where even those who did not watch Michael Jordan knew how big a superstar he was.

Caitlin Clark’s signature shoe might have a similar impact as Michael Jordan

Nike has had several superstar athletes across multiple sporting disciplines wear its products. The likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and many others have helped the company become the biggest sports apparel brand in the world.

But they have not had anyone capable of having a similar impact as Michael Jordan. Considering how that has played its part in the company’s dwindling market share, they have been on the lookout for its next big name.

It appears that the name might come from the women’s side, with Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark‘s popularity often being referred to as being Jordan-esque.

When Kixstats released their December list of the top eight sneakers used in the NBA, Clark’s Nike Kobe 6 PE surprisingly led the pack by a mile.

Even her Kobe 5 Protro ‘Indiana Fever’ edition sneakers were featured in that list. The fact that Kobe’s occupy many spots on that list is a testament to the product’s technology.

The 23-year-old has confirmed that her shoe will incorporate most of what is in the Kobe with some new tech. That, along with the millions they spent on the Christmas commercial, indicates that Nike is going all out to try to make her sneaker the next big thing.

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