"Profound Personal Wealth": NBA's Harsh Punishment Levied on Michael Jordan in 1984 Led to Nike Registering $150,000,000 in Sales

Jun 13, 1997; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls players Judd Buechler, left, Michael Jordan, middle, and Steve Kerr celebrate after winning the NBA championship after defeating the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY

In 1984, Michael Jordan made his formal introduction to the sport of basketball. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he was seemingly destined for superstardom from the get-go. The NBA was there for it and supported his rise to the top. But, there were times when they had to reprimand him. Like when he wore his colored Nike shoes that went against league policy. His actions forced the NBA to ban the shoe, but, as revealed in Michael Jordan: The Life this led to Nike racking up $150,000,000 in sales.

Nike really landed a golden goose when they signed MJ. His Airness’s competitive nature and charisma made him the perfect face for Nike’s basketball division. This, coupled with the NBA’s assistance, allowed them to capitalize on their new product and generate millions in sales, a phenomenon that also made Jordan a very rich man.

Nike benefited greatly from the NBA’s decision to ban the first-ever Michael Jordan shoe

The first-ever shoe Nike made for Michael Jordan was iconic. In fact, the Jordan 1 is a masterpiece that remains popular to this day. However, when it was first introduced back in 1984, the NBA wasn’t too happy with the design.

As a result, the shoe was banned and Jordan was told not to wear it. Regardless, His Airness appeared in games sporting the black and red sneaker, which led to him receiving countless fines. Fortunately for him, he had the backing of Nike, who paid off the fines and used the NBA’s banning to further advertise the product.

The ban allowed Nike to set up the perfect ad campaign. This along with their swift action allowed them to capitalize and increase the shoe’s popularity. So much so, that in the first three years of the shoe’s existence, they managed to bring in $150,000,000 in sales. Thus bringing in the first wave of profound personal wealth to Jordan.

“Nike moved quickly to take advantage of this gift horse, building the shoe’s popularity on the fact it was banned. “And then it happened,” Vaccaro recalled. Jordan’s early play, along with the ban and subsequent marketing, sent sales soaring. Nike would ring up an astounding $150 million in Air Jordan sales over the first three years, which in turn brought Jordan the first wave of profound personal wealth.”

It is a brilliant story that is the foundation of the entire Jordan brand. After the release of the Jordan 1, Nike and MJ released several other models of shoes, creating an empire that has revolutionized the business of both sports and fashion.

MJ once explained to David Letterman the reason behind the NBA’s decision to ban the shoe

The NBA’s decision to ban the shoe was a bit bizarre. After all, the reason why the Jordan 1 became so iconic was because of its unique design. However, it wasn’t in line with the league’s policy.

As Michael Jordan revealed on the David Letterman show, the NBA chose to ban the shoe because there was no white on it. The league had a strict color code to follow, which meant that the majority of the shoes needed to be white in color. But, in contrast, the Jordan 1 was primarily red and black.

At the end of the day, the NBA had no choice but to bow down to the Jordan Brand phenomenon. Fast forward 39 years and players across the league can now wear whatever color shoe they want.