The memory of Kobe Bryant that caused tears in the NBA
"Kobe Bryant was my Michael Jordan"
One of the most shocking moments of the two new episodes of 'The Last Dance', the documentary that narrates the last season of Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls culminated with the franchise's sixth ring, was the confession of the considered best player of all the times about which sneakers he preferred.
Jordan has struck gold not only because of his extraordinary talent on the court, but also because of his image contracts. The Brooklyn legend has amassed a large part of his fortune thanks to the agreement that links him with Nike and the clothing brand that bears his name within the Oregon firm.
A stamp of its own without which the world of basketball has not been understood since 1984, but which could have been very different as Jordan himself confessed in a part of the documentary. A confession that has had to leave more than one stone and especially Adidas and Converse, the two brands with which the Bulls player wanted to sign.
"Was there any brand of sports shoes with which you wanted to sign then?" Asks the host of the documentary at one point. And when everyone was waiting for the answer known to all, Jordan picked up: "Adidas". A confession that in the documentary is accompanied by an image of the 1984 Jordan in which he also names Converse.
"Adidas was a brand that didn't do well at the time. They said they would love to work with Jordan, but at the time they couldn't even make him a proper shoe. So we signed with Nike. I wanted him to sign with Nike because they were the best Jordan's agent, David Falk, assures in the documentary.
For his part, Converse did not put much interest in making a move for a player who would end up revolutionizing the world of sneakers: "Converse had great players on the payroll and we do not see ourselves putting you ahead of them," recalls Jordan, who responded bluntly: "OKAY".
From then on everything changed. Jordan accepted the $250,000 deal that Nike put on the table for him, kicking off one of the most successful business relationships in history and sparking the most famous sneaker saga of all time.
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