IT’S GOTTA BE THE SHOES
And, of course, there is the Jordan brand.
M.J.’s greatness on the court and Nike’s marketing prowess turned his last name into a noun. Since his signature shoe’s launch in the mid-1980s, Americans have held an obsession with getting their hands on the latest “Jordans.”
“I’ve had a few experiences,” Jordan Brand member LaMarcus Aldridge told ESPN during the shoe’s 30th anniversary. “Growing up in my neighborhood, [Jordans] were kind of like the Holy Grail. I couldn’t afford them. So just being able to work and save up the money to actually buy them was huge.”
They are traded, bought and sold like sports cards. The NBA is a marketing and players’ league. Heavily promoting stars is at the center of its business model. And yet, the players listed above, all with their own signature sneaker, don’t come close to matching Jordan’s shoe sales.
Jordan changed the shoe landscape. The stars of the 80s – Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Mark Aguirre, Bernard King – took to the hardwood wearing Converse. It’s impossible for anyone under 35 to imagine a baller sporting the Converse star on their shoe.
It’s not just about wearing the shoes. Players feel privileged to be chosen for the brand.
“To be the athlete to debut the Air Jordan XXX is definitely an honor,” Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, one of the leading Jordan Brand wearers, said.
“I definitely was big on [Jordans], I just wasn’t able to afford them,” said Westbrook. “Growing up, I never thought I’d be in this situation to be able to debut a Michael Jordan shoe, which is crazy to think about. But I’m just excited to be able to do that, and to be associated with Jordan is an honor in itself.”
Never mind that Jordan is the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. his aura rises above the competitive nature of the world’s best athletes.
And it’s not just basketball players. Derek Jeter was the face of Major League Baseball for almost 20 years, and his gear was adorned by the Jumpman logo. Others voluntarily under the Jordan spell are Mookie Betts and football’s Michael Thomas, Earl Thomas and Jimmy Garoppolo.