Michael Jordan’s decision to sign with Nike was influenced by his mother, Delores Jordan, says former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. Jordan’s emphatic arrival in the NBA captivated the attention of the NBA faithful.

The 21-year-old’s athletic and energetic dunks and style of play undeniably made him a lucrative commodity. Jordan’s lustre was bound to be a valuable asset to market, for the NBA and the Chicago Bulls.

By November of 1984, His Airness became a star in the NBA in just one month, although established stars such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar existed.

As such, Jordan was the subject of recruitment from multiple sports conglomerates, predominantly Adidas and Nike. And as the world is aware now, the six-time NBA champion opted to sign with Nike.

However, little do the vast majority know that Jordan’s preferred choice was Adidas. His mother, although, was pivotal in his signing with Nike, as explained by former Nike marketing executive, Sonny Vaccaro.

Michael Jordan’s mother Delores was influential in Jordan signing for Nike says Sonny Vaccaro

Former Nike executive, Sonny Vaccaro was recently invited to the renowned Dan Patrick show. Vaccaro and Patrick engaged in conversations regarding numerous topics during his tenure as the marketing executive of Nike.

Vaccaro caught the attention of viewers when he delved into the details surrounding the events that transpired behind Michael Jordan’s advent at Nike.

Vaccaro said:

“Michael was always Michael. But I knew that family, specifically Mrs Jordan at that time, family was what guided Michael. So after the first meeting, I knew that the only way to Michael’s heart was we got to convince his family…I knew family was big in that short period of time. And Michael Jordan only really listened to family and his mom. There was no question.”

Delores Jordan’s impact and influence on MJ’s career are largely undermined. His family was the most important aspect of Jordan’s life.

Mr and Mrs Jordan were integral to his success as they helped enable him to soak in the right information while filtering out the rest.

Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike

Suffice it to say, Jordan’s advent at Nike transcended the outlook and relationship between athletes and sporting companies as we knew it. Air Jordan paved the way for numerous future athletes who signed similar deals to the one he did in 1984.

To say his presence at Nike propelled the apparel company to fandom would be an understatement. With Jordan as the face of their future projects, Nike dominated the sporting market.

It in turn helped him establish his own brand named Jordan in 1997, an affiliate of Nike. Since its inception, the Jordan brand has grown tremendously, and today represents some of the leading stars in the sporting world such as Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, and Chris Paul.

It is also the official jersey sponsor of French league champions, PSG.