Former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan's ex-wife, Juanita Vanoy, mourned the death of former Nike global basketball sports marketing director George Raveling. On Monday, it was announced that Raveling had died after his battle with cancer. He was 88 years old.Raveling was one of the people behind Jordan's historic deal with Nike. In the 2023 film "Air," famed comedian Marlon Wayans was cast to play him.Raveling was also a collegiate coach. The executive served as the assistant coach at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which included a young Michael Jordan."There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants—and to the world," an Instagram post read. "He will be profoundly missed, yet his aura, energy, divine presence, and timeless wisdom live on in all those he touched and transformed... At this time of mourning, our family kindly asks for privacy and prayer as we navigate this difficult transition." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostVanoy shared the post on her Instagram story, mourning the death of one of the people who played a significant role in her ex-husband's basketball career.Vanoy posted on her Instagram account regarding the passing of Raveling.Even WNBA legend Lisa Leslie was heartbroken about the news of Raveling's death. She commented on the Instagram post, showing how sorry she was about the tragic update."Nooooo! We lost a real jewel! A King! A mentor, a coach, a leader and a friend ❤️❤️ 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️" Leslie commented.Lisa Leslie commented on Raveling's passing.When George Raveling spoke about his role in recruiting Michael Jordan to NikeRaveling appeared on "The Rich Eisen Show" in March, where he talked about recruiting Michael Jordan to Nike. According to him, they became close during the 1984 Olympics. At that time, Jordan was with Adidas. Despite the assistant coach's efforts, the six-time NBA champion was loyal to the German brand.“That summer, Michael and I were pretty much inseparable,” Raveling said. “All during that summer, it dawned on me that he would be an excellent person to be in the Nike family.”The key to recruiting Jordan was the promise of a signature shoe. Nike's deal offered the Hall of Famer a different path to stardom. However, Adidas wasn't interested in matching the offer.Raveling told Eisen that Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan, was the one who convinced him to give Nike a chance. Following his mother's advice, Michael Jordan made the best decision of his life. To this day, his signature shoes remain iconic, shaping the sneaker culture many people know and love.