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Michael Jordan was just a 21-year-old rookie with the Chicago Bulls when he signed a five-year deal with Nike in 1984. Nike was struggling at the time, with Adidas and Converse as the top shoe brands in the world. Jordan helped Nike grow exponentially, eventually having his own separate brand under the company.
The story of how Nike was able to convince "His Airness" to sign with them will now hit the big screen. According to the Hollywood Reporter, A-list actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are set to team up under Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports.
Affleck and Damon are set to produce, co-star and write the film, while the former will be the director. Affleck will play Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and Damon is set to portray former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. The two actors won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the movie "Good Will Hunting" in 1998.
The film's story will focus on Knight and Vaccaro's efforts to sign Michael Jordan to a shoe deal in 1984. Jordan was contemplating one of Adidas and Converse before he was convinced to sign with Nike. The report said:
"The story will focus on Vaccaro's relentless quest to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company, a journey that took him to Jordan's parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisers and friends."
Fast forward to the present time, Nike is one of the biggest shoe companies in the world with an estimated net worth of $33 billion. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan has been able to get his own brand under Nike called "Air Jordan". The brand has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, with Jordan reportedly earning $1.3 billion from it.
The story of how Michael Jordan signed with Nike
According to a 2004 report by ESPN, Michael Jordan never intended to sign with Nike in 1984. Jordan was a big fan of Adidas, the brand he was wearing in high school, while he wore Converse at UNC. His mother, Deloris Jordan, convinced him to meet with Nike executives in Beaverton, Oregon.
Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro offered Jordan a long-term contract with his own shoe line as well as royalties from sales. Before Jordan signed the deal with Nike, Converse only offered a contract, while Adidas never attempted to sign the future basketball GOAT.
At the end of the day, "His Airness" was more than happy with the decision he made in 1984. Jordan's partnership with Nike changed the sport, the NBA, the shoe game and pop culture forever. Jordan later said about the same:
"Even though I never envisioned myself wearing the shoe, the creativity that it provided to me and the education of what this is all about -- what I wear on my feet and how it enhances my athletic ability -- I'm happy with the choice."
