Inside Nike's big bet on Michael Jordan 40 years ago





One would think by now that a group of current or former NBA players would launch a shoe to rival Nike by now. Our mentality is to stay on the "Plantation" as long as we are paid.
it's been tried. i believe chris webber owned DaDa, or at least a piece of it. he wore those chrome shoes at the all star game one year. then of course the ball family tried with the big baller brand, but the old man messed that up out the gate with that ridiculous price point.

it isn't as simple as just launching a company to take on a major entity like Nike. a company like that is going to fight tooth and nail to keep that from happening because it would set a precedent.
 
it's been tried. i believe chris webber owned DaDa, or at least a piece of it. he wore those chrome shoes at the all star game one year. then of course the ball family tried with the big baller brand, but the old man messed that up out the gate with that ridiculous price point.

it isn't as simple as just launching a company to take on a major entity like Nike. a company like that is going to fight tooth and nail to keep that from happening because it would set a precedent.

We are just scared to step out - if Jordan left Nike and started his own brand it changes everything and it would mean more since he basically helped Nike become what they are and know the trade - he has nothing to lose but ain't doing it

Rarely do the guys who can change do step out and want to make bold decisions.
 
We are just scared to step out - if Jordan left Nike and started his own brand it changes everything and it would mean more since he basically helped Nike become what they are and know the trade - he has nothing to lose but ain't doing it

Rarely do the guys who can change do step out and want to make bold decisions.
Very well stated!!!
 
We are just scared to step out - if Jordan left Nike and started his own brand it changes everything and it would mean more since he basically helped Nike become what they are and know the trade - he has nothing to lose but ain't doing it

Rarely do the guys who can change do step out and want to make bold decisions.
why would jordan leave nike when all he has to do is collect a fat check? he doesn't have to worry about r&d, marketing, inventory, distribution. no personnel worries. nothing but playing golf, making a few appearances, and then collecting a check.

and if he did leave nike, what do you think nike is going to do while he sets up a rival company and threatens their market share? what happened when suge and j. prince and dame tried setting up a distribution company? and who says jordan or any of the others have the business acumen to succeed?

i think some of you dudes don't really understand what it takes to do business at that level, and that it's as simple as putting some money up.
 
why would jordan leave nike when all he has to do is collect a fat check? he doesn't have to worry about r&d, marketing, inventory, distribution. no personnel worries. nothing but playing golf, making a few appearances, and then collecting a check.

and if he did leave nike, what do you think nike is going to do while he sets up a rival company and threatens their market share? what happened when suge and j. prince and dame tried setting up a distribution company? and who says jordan or any of the others have the business acumen to succeed?

i think some of you dudes don't really understand what it takes to do business at that level, and that it's as simple as putting some money up.

Comparing Jordan to Suge? 😂

No offense but those guys you referenced didn't come up or have the longevity to even make a major dent - what works on the streets didn't work in the boardroom

Jordan could step out if he wanted as he would be attractive to someone to put a good group around him. People invest in people - if Jordan, Magic, Shaq, LeBron all come together and said let's do something big for basketball you don't think it moves the needle? Then they attract the same type players from the football side now you shifted the narrative - heaven forbid if they get a Peyton Manning type to join for the market share and now you really scaring them

Our problem again is our people with the means to step out won't do it. As much money as we've made playing football/basketball in the pros or on the FBS level for them you hardly see any of us turning into a mega donor where they spend just to spend

Surely someone learned from someone how to flip their cash to make it to the next level but we as race are closed minded and rather keep it to ourselves if they know the formula
 
Comparing Jordan to Suge? 😂

No offense but those guys you referenced didn't come up or have the longevity to even make a major dent - what works on the streets didn't work in the boardroom

Jordan could step out if he wanted as he would be attractive to someone to put a good group around him. People invest in people - if Jordan, Magic, Shaq, LeBron all come together and said let's do something big for basketball you don't think it moves the needle? Then they attract the same type players from the football side now you shifted the narrative - heaven forbid if they get a Peyton Manning type to join for the market share and now you really scaring them

Our problem again is our people with the means to step out won't do it. As much money as we've made playing football/basketball in the pros or on the FBS level for them you hardly see any of us turning into a mega donor where they spend just to spend

Surely someone learned from someone how to flip their cash to make it to the next level but we as race are closed minded and rather keep it to ourselves if they know the formula

For starters, I didn't "compare Jordan to Suge." I gave an example of a similar business situation where Jordan and Co. would end up going against some of the same people that used their power to shut Suge and J and them down. Now you've been to college so you should've understood that. Instead you reverted to the childish "you're comparing Suge to Jordan 😂" shit that I'd expect from a stupid fox news watching honkey.

Our people with the means to step out and start their own thing have those means because of the big shoe companies, etc. They're not independently wealthy. Turning around and then trying to start a company to rival the ones that helped them make those millions would be seen as a slap in the face by those companies, and not one they're gonna just sit and take.

Suge, J, Irv and Dame had more than the necessary experience and resources to do what they were trying to do. That they all started on the "streets" isn't why they weren't successful. That they were trying to cut into an established situation which the jews have dominated for decades, and where billions were at stake, was.

You think you're the first person to come along with the bright idea that a few of the big name athletes could come together and start their own shoe company? Of course they "could," but what you don't seem to understand is that you have Nike, Adidas and Reebok who would see their bottom line affected and would do everything they could to stop that from happening. Nike saw the possibility of that happening, which is why they gave Jordan his own brand under the Nike umbrella.

All of the men you named are already wealthy. Why would they even wanna take on the headache of alienating the jews they work with who helped them get to the financial level they're on by going to battle with another group of jews? Those men are going to make their multi-millions doing team ownership deals, casino deals, and other deals that will require them to stay in line with those people. Partnerships.

You wanna see a shoe brand to take on the big boys? Your best bet is to get together with some likeminded people, get the necessary funding, and try to identify some young up and comers to be the face of your shoe, and then go from there. Like ActivelyBlack. Brother started his own clothing company, and the big boys have taken notice and now they're starting to turn their attention his way.
 
Last edited:
For starters, I didn't "compare Jordan to Suge." I gave an example of a similar business situation where Jordan and Co. would end up going against some of the same people that used their power to shut Suge and J and them down. Now you've been to college so you should've understood that. Instead you reverted to the childish "you're comparing Suge to Jordan 😂" shit that I'd expect from a stupid fox news watching honkey.

Our people with the means to step out and start their own thing have those means because of the big shoe companies, etc. They're not independently wealthy. Turning around and then trying to start a company to rival the ones that helped them make those millions would be seen as a slap in the face by those companies, and not one they're gonna just sit and take.

Suge, J, Irv and Dame had more than the necessary experience and resources to do what they were trying to do. That they all started on the "streets" isn't why they weren't successful. That they were trying to cut into an established situation which the jews have dominated for decades, and where billions were at stake, was.

You think you're the first person to come along with the bright idea that a few of the big name athletes could come together and start their own shoe company? Of course they "could," but what you don't seem to understand is that you have Nike, Adidas and Reebok who would see their bottom line affected and would do everything they could to stop that from happening. Nike saw the possibility of that happening, which is why they gave Jordan his own brand under the Nike umbrella.

All of the men you named are already wealthy. Why would they even wanna take on the headache of alienating the jews they work with who helped them get to the financial level they're on by going to battle with another group of jews? Those men are going to make their multi-millions doing team ownership deals, casino deals, and other deals that will require them to stay in line with those people. Partnerships.

You wanna see a shoe brand to take on the big boys? Your best bet is to get together with some likeminded people, get the necessary funding, and try to identify some young up and comers to be the face of your shoe, and then go from there. Like ActivelyBlack. Brother started his own clothing company, and the big boys have taken notice and now they're starting to turn their attention his way.

You proved my point - we refuse to leave our comfort zones once we achieve a certain point of wealth - white folks will step out but we're afraid for some odd reason even though we're the ones pushing the product
 
You proved my point - we refuse to leave our comfort zones once we achieve a certain point of wealth - white folks will step out but we're afraid for some odd reason even though we're the ones pushing the product
no i didn't prove your point. i gave you an example of four Black men attempting to set up their own distribution company and the jews reaction to that. first you wrongly attributed "the streets," whatever that means, as they reason they failed, and now you've just decided to ignore that altogether.

and who said MJ and the rest are "afraid?" or even want to "step out" and start a shoe company? don't attribute your fears to others. those men are comfortable and wealthy and involved in what they wanna be involved in. question: did you buy lavar ball's shoe that he put out?
 
no i didn't prove your point. i gave you an example of four Black men attempting to set up their own distribution company and the jews reaction to that. first you wrongly attributed "the streets," whatever that means, as they reason they failed, and now you've just decided to ignore that altogether.

and who said MJ and the rest are "afraid?" or even want to "step out" and start a shoe company? don't attribute your fears to others. those men are comfortable and wealthy and involved in what they wanna be involved in. question: did you buy lavar ball's shoe that he put out?

Nope - never owned Jordans also

I did buy magic Johnson's shoes in the 90s who weren't part of a major brand
 
Nope - never owned Jordans also

I did buy magic Johnson's shoes in the 90s who weren't part of a major brand
well Jordans nor Magic's shoes were made by independent, Black owned companies. Magic's shoes were connected with Converse, which was a major brand back then.

you had a chance to support a fully independent Black owned shoe company and you didn't, yet you wonder why there really aren't any out here operating today. so maybe now you understand why none of the big boys have stepped out on their own.
 
Last edited:
well Jordans nor Magic's shoes were made by independent, Black owned companies. Magic's shoes were connected with Converse, which was a major brand back then.

you had a chance to support a fully independent Black owned shoe company and you didn't, yet you wonder why there really aren't any out here operating today. so maybe now you understand why none of the big boys have stepped out on their own.

Then I was a kid and there weren't any independent companies like BBB - but BBB came in at a crazy price point also to where the average person couldn't afford it

But we have enough guys who've made major money do some damage if they pooled resources together but that's not our culture unfortunately- we rather keep feeding the machine

This board is an example - we lost plenty of folks based on the story of not having enough time to post but their on Facebook daily allowing FB to make way more ad revenue
 
Then I was a kid and there weren't any independent companies like BBB - but BBB came in at a crazy price point also to where the average person couldn't afford it

But we have enough guys who've made major money do some damage if they pooled resources together but that's not our culture unfortunately- we rather keep feeding the machine

This board is an example - we lost plenty of folks based on the story of not having enough time to post but their on Facebook daily allowing FB to make way more ad revenue
Our "culture" is not making the moves on our own that we keep wishing big money Blacks would make on our behalf. You're not a kid anymore, how much ActivelyBlack do you have in your closet.

We're always sitting around asking "why doesn't MJ/Oprah/name the Black millionaire just put a few million apiece" into whatever idea some random Black person has. But you ask that same Black person why haven't they started a company, but are still on their job collecting a paycheck (that comfort and fear you spoke of), they'll have 1000 reasons why.
 



Poverty rates, hunger, illness, and death are gonna skyrocket over the next few years thanks to that Trump bill, and folks are talking about why Black people can't get behind the creation of an overpriced shoe brand idea.
 
Poverty rates, hunger, illness, and death are gonna skyrocket over the next few years thanks to that Trump bill, and folks are talking about why Black people can't get behind the creation of an overpriced shoe brand idea.
it's a message board. there's a section for politics, so start a thread if you haven't already. but it's stupid to come into a thread in the sports section, knowing what the topic is about and that it doesn't interest you, just to make little snide remarks like a cunt.
 
it's a message board. there's a section for politics, so start a thread if you haven't already. but it's stupid to come into a thread in the sports section, knowing what the topic is about and that it doesn't interest you, just to make little snide remarks like a cunt.
It's a message board. I can come into any threat any thread and make any comment I want, especially in response to folks shitting black people for no damn reason. And I don't have to be snide. I was very fucking clear what I meant and don't have to name call like a little bitch to get my point across.
 
It's a message board. I can come into any threat any thread and make any comment I want, especially in response to folks shitting black people for no damn reason. And I don't have to be snide. I was very fucking clear what I meant and don't have to name call like a little bitch to get my point across.
And just like a little cunt, instead of taking the chastisement like a man and drawing the needed lessons from it, you double down with the neck and eye rolling and feminine banter. Lol! Here’s some advice: try standing up to piss my friend. Now, it won’t make you a man, but for that brief moment you’ll get to experience what it feels like to be one. Now go ahead and have that precious last word, I know how crucial it is to your type.
 
Back
Top