Michael Jordan smashed all four clauses inserted into his Nike deal to keep massive contract alive

It's hard to imagine Michael Jordan without Nike and vice versa, but the paths of the superstar athlete and the sportswear giant came close to never crossing.

Jordan and Nike share the most recognisable and lucrative athlete-brand partnership in sports history, but the basketball legend used to partner with their company's rivals.

Back in his college days at the University of North Carolina, Jordan looked destined to sign a deal with either Adidas or Converse.

The upcoming star preferred the three-stripe brand, but on the court he worse Converse because Dean Smith and the UNC at Chapel Hill were sponsored by them.

In the movie 'Air', it was revealed that after games Jordan would switch back into his Adidas gear.

So, how did he end up at Nike rather than one of the two basketball giants at the time?

Nike had a budget of $250,000 to try and sign up three to four players from the 1984 NBA Draft.

However, as revealed in 'Air', Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro abandoned that idea and forced the company to use the entire budget on Jordan.

To persuade Jordan to sign, Nike offered the future Hall of Famer a five-year, $2.5 million contract for after his rookie season.

Michael Jordan in action for the Chicago Bulls. Image: Getty

To cover their backs in case Jordan flopped upon turning pro, Nike inserted four clauses into the deal. Jordan needed to achieve just one of them to keep his deal going.

The four requirements were: be named to an All-Star or All-NBA team; win Rookie of the Year; average 20+ points per game or sell over $4 million worth of Nike Air Jordans.

Surprise surprise, the Chicago Bulls star smashed all of those requirements and remained with Nike for his entire career.

By the end of his rookie season, Jordan had averaged 28+ points per game and had sold $162 million worth of sneakers.

He was also crowned Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Star and All-NBA second team.

The rest, as they say, is history. Both player and brand had profited hugely from the partnership, with Jordan making an estimated $1.6 billion up until 2023.

Jordan could have earned even more money had he accepted a lucrative offer to fight a boxing legend.

Topics: Basketball, Michael Jordan, Nike, Adidas, NBA, Chicago Bulls

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a journalist at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He can often be found watching dreadful non-league football.

@alex_brotherton