In 1994, Fila cashed out Grant Hill for $30 million for five years. Jayson Tatum in the Nike Kobe 11 (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) Simply put? Duke puts out bankable shoe sellers. Lucky for fans more enamored by another shade of azul, Mike’s favorite color may be green. In signing Tatum, Mike also crossed party lines where the Tobacco Road rivalry is considered, inking a Dukie despite bleeding Carolina blue. “Three-and-a-half years later, Jayson is now an MVP candidate.” “When Jayson first signed with the Jordan Brand in 2019, that was definitely a signifier that the brand was on its way to be led into the future,” Adam Beard, Jordan Brand Global Strategic Communications Manager, told Boardroom on a Zoom call. In choosing Tatum, a rising star he acquired from nearby Nike back in 2019, MJ is betting big on the Celtic swingman’s upside. “You know they are going to be ready to do the impossible.” “My whole thought process is taking an existing player, because they have the credibility of being a strong player,” Jordan told SLAM Kicks in ’98. Over the course of Jordan Brand’s 25 year existence, MJ has been selective in hand-picking the talent that both wears his shoes and has their namesake model under his Swoosh subsidiary. From Chicago to Milan, Boston and beyond, Air Jordan sneakers reign supreme despite MJ being two decades removed from his playing days. Since forming his own subsidiary based off that iconic emblem, the Jordan Brand has blossomed into a $5 billion a year business. In 1984, Nike made Michael Jordan their man.Ģ3 years later in 1997, they made him his own brand. ![]() What separates Tatum from his peers is carrying the honor and weight of that infamous leaping logo that Mike debuted 35 years ago in Chicago. With the Tatum 1, the original game plan returns.īetter yet? Setting a scoring record in his first All-Star start validated the product more than anyone could plan for.Īcross the NBA, an array of athletes have their own signature shoe, scaling household names like LeBron James and Kevin Durant to upcoming talent like Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant. ![]() Over the course of his career, MJ won ASG MVP honors three times.Īfter Jordan’s first retirement, they rerouted the marketing method ever so slightly by having MJ start seasons in the new model but break out an upcoming and often off-kilter colorway at the midseason classic. “Then we pushed colors going into the Tournament and that’s when the Dunks were introduced.”įor years, this strategy shaped Jordan Brand before being discontinued.įrom 1988 and up to 1993, Nike and Michael Jordan used the All-Star Game to debut the new Air Jordan game shoe. “The All-Star Game was the first time we introduced a basketball shoe into the Spring,” Hill said. It was a double whammy where consumer attention span and seasons were concerned. ![]() On top of that, Nike had the foresight to debut the Mars Blackmon campaign on TV during the game, introducing the Tinker Hatfield design to the world in a street savvy method that was lifestyle leaning. Not only did Mike wear his new shoe for the first time at All-Star Weekend, he thrived on national television at a time when the Bulls aired mostly as a regional act.Īs Russ Bengtson recalled for Complex, Mike made the most of that moment in Chicago by breaking out two colorways of the Air Jordan 3 in the same weekend - a move Tatum mimicked this year. For us, we needed a vehicle to sell Spring shoes.” “The first time he wore the was at the All-Star Game. “Up until that time, basketball shoes were introduced in the Fall,” Ron Hill, former Nike Product Merchandiser, told Boardroom in 2022. It meant even more for Nike when considering their bottom line and box score. ![]() This theatric moment meant much for Mike where arrivals rank, winning both the Slam Dunk Contest and All-Star Game MVP in his new shoe with his new logo. Rotating the shoe towards the heel, there appears an iconic silhouette older than the Celtics scorer himself.ģ5 years ago, the Jumpman emblem debuted on the Air Jordan 3 at All-Star Weekend, flying high on Mike’s home court of Chicago. On the tongue of the Jordan Tatum 1 lies a sleek ‘JT’ logo representing the brand’s newest signature star.
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