"Wherever I went, I had to work my way up to the top" - Michael Jordan on showing up in Jordan sneakers as a rookie in the 80s

Sports and fashion are unimaginable now without Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan brand. Nike took a huge gamble on a very popular but unproven rookie and turned it into one of the best business decisions of all time. Their collaboration united two untested commodities that rose to become icons in basketball and footwear.

Michael Jordan’s decision to choose Nike also had a far bigger meaning than just the lucrative offer that was offered by the American sports giant. “His Airness” was driven to create a path of his own and was reflected in his uncertain beginnings with a fledgling running shoe company.

Jackie McMullan’s Icons Club features Michael Jordan relating his journey to the top of the NBA the way he started his shoe brand:

“I always felt like I was the lowest on the totem pole. Wherever I went, and I had to work my way up to the top, you know, so I had so much respect for those guys, somewhat intimidated but yet it was once I got on the basketball court, it was about, ‘Okay how did my talents compare with those guys?’”

Michael Jordan’s perception of his basketball talents was clearly different from how the NBA was looking at him. Although he was only the No.3 overall pick of the 1984 draft, Jordan carried with him credentials that were hard to match. More importantly, several of college basketball’s best coaches already consider him a superstar in the making.

In the six-time champion’s rookie season, he jolted the NBA with his aerial display, scoring brilliance and unwavering confidence. The league was somewhat shaken by the derring-do of a skinny 6-6 guard from North Carolina who played like there was no tomorrow.

Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals in the 1984-85 season, where he played all 82 games. His average was the fifth-highest by a rookie, which greatly underscored just how high he would climb the imaginary totem pole.

As Jordan’s impeccable performance shone on the basketball court, Nike and the Air Jordan 1's popularity soared. Adidas and Converse would rue to this day what could have been had they taken the same risk as Nike.

The Three Stripes reportedly refused to sign Jordan to a shoe deal because he was too short. Converse, on the other hand, didn’t want to put the rookie ahead of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. Jordan also didn’t want to be lumped with established stars, so the partnership with Nike seemed like destiny.

---

Michael Jordan’s jaw-dropping rookie season was followed by a disappointing injury-hit sophomore year

Michael Jordan played only 18 games in the regular season in his sophomore season due to a broken foot. [Photo: Sporting News]

After wowing the NBA with his otherworldly exploits in his rookie season, “His Airness” would only play 18 games in his second year. Jordan broke his foot in just his third game of his sophomore season but still averaged a tidy 22.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals.

Michael Jordan, however, was healthy enough for the playoffs where they faced Larry Bird and the defending champion Boston Celtics. Just how far Jordan has climbed the totem pole, despite an injury-marred season, was on full display in their series.

In three games, Jordan put up an insane 43.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 assists. Despite the sweep at the hands of the Celtics, the NBA was buzzing with Jordan’s 63-point masterpiece in Game 2 of that series. It remains the most points scored ever in a single postseason game.