Michael Jordan and Reebok

Introduction

Michael Jordan is not only a basketball icon but an icon in the retail industry as well. Michael Jordan's deal with Nike started as a rookie in 1984 and has left a legacy that lasts today. In the 1992 Olympics, Michael Jordan was forced to wear Reebok gear on the Gold Medal platform after the United State's victory over Croatia. Jordan protested but was told he must wear Reebok if he wanted to accept the medal with his teammates and represent his country on the podium. Jordan created a way to hide the Reebok logo by covering his shoulder with the American Flag. Jordan, along with many of his fellow teammates who were in deals with other brands, covered up the logo so they could not be seen wearing it. This created controversy between Jordan and Reebok but also showed Jordan's allegiance to the brand that he had been with from the start. The Air Jordan brand has been an iconic part of global society for years thanks to the legacy left by Jordan during his playing career. The relationship between the player and the brand has set a precedent for iconic players to come, and when you talk about these athletes you think about the shoes and clothes that they wear. Athletes are used as tools by brands to help promote a product, and it becomes a personal relationship when your athlete does what Michael Jordan did on the gold medal podium. The legacy has been set and people still pay thousands of dollars for the new Air Jordan. Nike allowed Michael Jordan to create a product that would influence younger generations to want to be just like Mike.

Career Awards

Michael Jordan is one of the most accomplished athletes of all time in their respective sport. In college, Michael Jordan was one of the most sought-after players in the country. After choosing to stay in his home state and play for the University of North Carolina Jordan burst onto the scene and won ACC rookie of the year in 1982. Later going on to win Naismith National Player of the year and leading the Tar Heels to a national championship in 1981-82, Jordan continued to dominate and showed promise heading into his NBA career. Along with being drafted third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft, Jordan also competed and won a gold medal on the 1984 Olympic team. In his first year, Michael Jordan won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Throughout his illustrious career, Jordan went on to win championships and break records. His individual awards reflect the accomplishments he has achieved with his teams as well. Some of Michael Jordan's notable individual awards as a professional consist of, five-time most valuable player, six-time NBA Finals MVP, ten-time NBA scoring leader, NBA defensive player of the year, and Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the year in 1991. Jordan also achieved awards as part of a team such as NCAA National Champions with the University of North Carolina, Six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, representing the United States winning 2 gold medals and being part of an exclusive team, the Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2009. Jordan was an icon in the NBA and was a spectacular player to watch because of his unique abilities. Jordan was a fourteen-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA slam dunk contest twice. In addition to these accolades, Jordan broke numerous records during his career in the NBA. Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons. Jordan holds the record for most points in a 3 game and 5 game playoff series, the record for most points scored in a playoff series. Also, Jordan has never scored less than fifteen points in a playoff game. After returning to the NBA to play for the Washington Wizards, Jordan became the oldest player to score over 50 points in a game.

Timeline

1958 Reebok was founded	Reebok started in Great Britain as a collaboration with J.W. Fosters and Sons. It joined the sporting goods industry as a brand that sold spiked running shoes. The Reebok shoe was worn by British athletes and represented by many Olympic champions. In 1979 the brand expanded to the US market and began to expand from track shoes. Reebok expanded to most sports and signed many athletes to the brand.
1964 Nike was founded	Nike started as Blue Ribbon Sports founded by University of Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman and student Phil Knight. Not until 1972 did they launch their first shoe and in 1978 changed their name to Nike. By the early 21st century Nike had outlets and distributors in over 170 countries. Nike established itself as a global powerhouse in the retail industry early in its career.
1984 Michael Jordan was drafted	Michael Jordan was drafted 3rd overall in the 1984 NBA draft. A nationally known talent for his success at the collegiate level playing for the University of North Carolina, Michael Jordan was a sure top 5 pick. Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls and made an immediate impact at the professional level. Jordan was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Bulls.
1984 Michael Jordan signs with Nike	Michael Jordan was a rookie in the NBA but his previous accomplishments at the collegiate level led many to believe he was going to be a star. In 1984 Nike was not the powerhouse shoe line that they are now. In these years most NBA players had deals signed with names such as Converse or Adidas. Jordan signed a five-year deal worth $500,000 and was promised a signature shoe deal in the future with Nike.
1984 Michael Jordans first signature shoe	In Michael Jordan's deal with Nike he was promised a signature shoe deal. However, Nike was not ready and it was not until late in 1984 he was able to unveil his first signature shoe, the Air Jordan 1. When Jordan originally wore the Jordan 1 they were outlawed by NBA commissioner David Stern because they violated the 51 percent rule. This rule meant shoes could have color on them but the majority of the color on the shoe needed to be white.
1992 The Assembly of the Dream Team	The United States assembled a team of all of the best NBA players at the time to compete together at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The team was assembled to prove to the rest of the world the United States was the powerhouse of basketball. This move was made because in 1988 the US team was unable to achieve a gold medal in basketball and the United States wanted to leave no doubt in 1992. The team consisted of now NBA Hall of Famers and one college player, Christian Laettner from Duke University.
1992 Chuck Daly Announced Head Coach	Chuck Daly was made head coach of the 1992 Dream Team. Daly was a successful coach at the collegiate level assisting coaching at Duke University and head coaching at Boston College and leading the University of Pennsylvania to the Final Four as head coach. Daly made his move to the NBA joining a few teams until famously becoming the head coach of the Detroit Pistons and leading them to 3 NBA Finals and winning 2 Championships in consecutive years.
1992 The Road to the Gold Medal	The United States proved they were the basketball powerhouse in their games leading up to the gold medal game. The US left no doubt by beating each team by significant margins throughout the tournament. The team was iconic around the world with future Hall of Famers filling the lineup every game. The practices were more intense than the games played at the Olympics because the level of talent on the team was so extreme.
1992 Gold Medal Controversy	The Dream Team breezed through the Olympics earning themselves a spot in the Gold Medal game. The team was faced with their toughest opponent, Croatia. This game was the closest of the 8 games the Dream Team played and they beat Croatia 117-85 to earn the gold medal. However, on the podium during the ceremony players, specifically Michael Jordan draped American flags or unzipped their jackets to yield people from seeing the Reebok logo on their tracksuits. The US Olympic teams were sponsored by Reebok and with athletes having deals with other brands, and the refusal from the USOC not allowing them to take off the Reebok gear, the athletes hid it in a very patriotic way.
2020 Reebok's Response	It was not until 2020 after "The Last Dance" documentary was aired did Reebok respond to the acts by Jordan and the other athletes made during the gold medal ceremony. The response was not directed in a mean way, however. The response was a sketch that showed Michael Jordan wearing the flag on his opposite shoulder and the caption said "we would have preferred the flag on the other shoulder." Jordan was forced to wear the Reebok gear but said "they are going to try to hide the Reebok on it. But they can't hide it like I'm going to hide it."
2021 The Legacy of the Jordan Brand	Through the controversy during the gold medal ceremony Jordan remained faithful to Nike his whole career. From having his signature shoe as a rookie in 1984 to being one of the most iconic brands in the world, the Jordan brand will be around for many years to come. From basketball shoes to collectible shoes selling for thousands of dollars there has never been an athlete to have the significance on a brand as Michael Jordan did. The brand still lives on and is expanding to produce products in sports other than basketball like football, baseball, and soccer.

Primary Sources

“High-Performance Marketing: An Interview with Nike's Phil Knight.” Harvard Business Review, 1 Aug. 2014, https://hbr.org/1992/07/high-performance-marketing-an-interview-with-nikes-phil-knight.

This article consists of an interview with the founder of Nike, Phil Knight. He speaks about Michael Jordan and the influence he had on the brand and how big the impact he had on the decision making of the business decisions made behind his brand. This interview also talks about competitors such as Reebok and the decisions made by Nike to get the upper hand on their competition.

McCallum, Jack. “Dreamy - Sports Illustrated Vault.” SI.com, Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com, 17 Aug. 1992, https://vault.si.com/vault/1992/08/17/dreamy.

This is an article from Sports Illustrated that includes a description of what happened on the podium at the '92 Olympics. It helps describe how the players chose to cover up the Reebok logo in different ways such as using an American flag or opening the jacket so the Reebok logo could not be seen. It also explains how Michael Jordan threw the jacket away after the ceremony because he did not want it.

Episode 5 of "The Last Dance"

"The Last Dance" is a documentary about Michael Jordan throughout his career. In episode 5 he speaks out about the incident at the Olympics and his decision to cover up the Reebok logo on the Gold Medal podium. Michael Jordan talks about his allegiance to Nike and how he tried to get out of wearing the Reebok gear but was told he had to wear it.

NBA "The Dream Team 1992" Full Documentary - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IraymSUdK0M.

This is a documentary on YouTube about the 1992 Dream Team and includes interviews with players about their run in the Olympics. In the documentary, they show the medal ceremony, and players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird talk about what it meant to them to win the gold medal for their country. In the clips from the ceremony, you can see multiple players with flags covering their shoulders to yield people from seeing them wearing a Reebok product. Throughout this emotional time of winning a gold medal, the players still cared about things like being seen in a brand that isn't theirs.

Secondary Sources

Episode 6 of “The Last Dance”

This documentary is about Michael Jordan’s career and significant moments in his career.
Episode 6 specifically is about the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” and their run to a Gold Medal
In this episode, Michael Jordan talks about the controversy he had with Reebok when trying to discuss a shoe deal
The Olympic team was sponsored by Reebok and was required to wear the Reebok gear all throughout the Olympics. Michael Jordan explains how he found a loophole and wore the Reebok gear on the podium but used an American flag that he draped over his shoulder to block the Reebok logo from being seen.

“The Time Michael Jordan Was Forced To Wear Reebok”

This article includes quotes from many personnel high up in basketball, not only in the NBA but Olympic basketball as well.
The athletes had to consider if their allegiance to their sponsor was more important to their commitment to the Olympic basketball team
This article includes quotes from the athletes as well who talk about the win at all costs mentality
This article also includes the Dream Teams path to their Gold Medal and the quotes provide inside information about what it was like during the time

Adidas Biggest Mistake

A Michael Jordan interview about his point of view from college and deciding on a brand to sign with
He doesn’t talk about Reebok but I think it could be useful because he talks about his relationship with Nike
Michael Jordan’s relationship with Nike is the main factor on his turn against Reebok at the Olympics
Michael Jordan mentions Adidas and how he always wanted to partner with them, I wonder if the Olympic team was sponsored by Adidas instead of Reebok if he still would’ve covered the logo

Nike on Dream Team’s Reebok Suits in 1992: Just Do It

This article includes quotes from interviews with people in the Nike organization such as Nike’s director of sports marketing
Nike expresses they did not ask Michael Jordan to go about covering the Reebok logo they trusted that whatever decision he made would be the right one
Nike made sure to express that they had nothing to do with the boycott of Reebok from any of their athletes

Legacy

Michael Jordan created a legacy on and off the court that will last a lifetime. There are so many memorable moments in his career that have paved the way for future generations of not just basketball players. The one aspect that flies under the radar but is something that is important is the loyalty that Jordan showed throughout his career. Beginning with his loyalty to the brand of Nike during the 1992 Olympics during the gold medal ceremony. During the time of his rookie year, Nike was not the leader in sports that they are today. Yes, Nike was a big name but they did not have the big-name superstars like other brands such as Adidas or even Converse who was typically the leader when it came to basketball at the time. Nike made a big push to get Michael Jordan and promised him a lot of things. In business, you never know who is being truthful and going to live up to what they are promising, but Michael Jordan took the Nike deal instead of other big-name brands and ran with it. As his career went on Michael Jordan and Nike became linked to each other. When you heard Nike in the 80s and 90s you immediately thought of Michael Jordan. He grew the brand and helped them become the global powerhouse they are today. He showed his allegiance to his brand on the gold medal platform at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. When told he must wear the Reebok track suit he given he initially refused, but when told he wouldn't be allowed to stand on the podium with his teammates and represent his country during the national anthem he found a loophole. Michael Jordan went on the platform with an American flag draped over his shoulder to hide the Reebok logo. You won't find any photos of Jordan wearing Reebok because of his strong allegiance to Nike even on the biggest stage in the world when no one cared what anyone was wearing Michael Jordan was thinking about the brand that gave him so much during his career. The Jordan brand still lives on today holding the iconic Jumpman logo that will forever be recognized and known as Air Jordan.

References

Verry, Peter. “Reebok Takes a Shot at Michael Jordan and 'the Last Dance' on TikTok.” Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 May 2020, https://footwearnews.com/2020/focus/athletic-outdoor/reebok-tiktok-michael-jordan-olympics-the-last-dance-1202980275/.

“1992 United States Men's Olympic Basketball Team.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_United_States_men%27s_Olympic_basketball_team.

“Chuck Daly.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Sept. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Daly.

Report, Pardon My Bias Bleacher. “1992 Dream Team: The Greatest Team Ever Assembled.” Bleacher Report, Bleacher Report, 3 Oct. 2017, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/435593-the-greatest-team-ever-assembled.

“Air Jordan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Jordan.

“When Did Michael Jordan Sign for Nike? Contract Details, Current Sales, & More: NBA News.” EssentiallySports, 3 July 2021, https://www.essentiallysports.com/nba-basketball-news-when-did-chicago-bulls-michael-jordan-sign-for-nike-contract-details-current-sales-more/.

“Michael Jordan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan.

“Nike, Inc..” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nike-Inc.

“Reebok.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reebok.

wires, Chicago Tribune. “Nike on DREAM Team's Reebok Suits in 1992: Just Do It.” Chicagotribune.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2020, www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bulls/ct-michael-jordan-nike-reebok-olympics-20200502-rso4eyfnybclleopu2t4iawdku-story.html.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Dance_(miniseries)

https://footwearnews.com/2020/focus/athletic-outdoor/reebok-tiktok-michael-jordan-olympics-the-last-dance-1202980275/

Mikedamz, director. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Mar. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWi_VZlIhP0.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/585329-nba-greats-michael-jordans-still-standing-records

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Michael_Jordan

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