• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Michael Jordan had one contract clause rejected in his entire NBA career and nobody else ever asked for it

Home> NBA

Published 16:38 31 Jul 2025 GMT+1

Michael Jordan had one contract clause rejected in his entire NBA career and nobody else ever asked for it

The all-time great tried to cash in on his fame but the NBA shut the door on his unique contract demand

Chris Nee

Chris Nee

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: NBA, Basketball, Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan

Chris Nee
Chris Nee

Advert

Advert

Advert

Sporting icons don't come much bigger than Michael Jordan, one of the NBA's greatest players of all-time.

Jordan was at the heart of the Chicago Bulls' NBA domination in the nineties, leading them to six championships in eight seasons between 1991 and 1998.

He was the NBA Finals MVP in all six of those years, the league MVP five times, and such a sporting colossus that his number was retired by a team he never represented.

Advert

The expectations were high even before Jordan made his NBA debut. In 1984, the Bulls drafted him as the third overall pick on the back of a stellar college career at the University of North Carolina.

Jordan revealed that he backed himself to make it in the big leagues in an interview with Marvin R. Shanken, the editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado, a couple of years after his retirement from playing.

"People are going to love this," MJ said when Shanken asked about his first Bulls contract.

"It was a seven-year deal. I averaged about $850,000 a year. The first year's compensation was $650,000."

Advert

Jordan and his agent forecast that the Jordan name alone would attract people to NBA arenas and pack out Chicago Stadium.

"There was no signing bonus. We tried to get an attendance clause.

"They were averaging 6,000 people a game. So we thought, OK, we're going to ask for an attendance clause. At the time, Jonathan Kovler was the owner.

"My agent, David Falk, went in and asked for that. Kovler said, 'We're not going to give him an attendance clause because if we draft him at the three spot, he'd better put people in the seats.' So they never gave us an attendance clause."

Advert

Michael Jordan in action for the Chicago Bulls (Image: Getty)
Michael Jordan in action for the Chicago Bulls (Image: Getty)

As it turned out, Jordan fulfilled every expectation he and Falk could have imagined and had no trouble turning his celebrity and legendary status into profit.

It was calculated that his $33.1 million salary in 1997-98 – the year of his last NBA championship with the Bulls – would be worth more than $65 million in 2025.

'Practice is work'

Jordan told Shanken that the work ethic and drive that brought in the big bucks was inherited from his parents.

Advert

"I was taught to do it that way by my parents, and by the way they approached their daily activities," he said.

"It wasn't half-assed. So I practiced like I played. So when I played, playing was fun. Practice is work.

"You're working on the idiosyncrasies of what your game needs, so when the game comes, you showcase it and you utilise it. You build your game on it.

"Practice wasn't just a place to take time off. You work on things in practice."

Choose your content:

20 hours ago
a day ago
2 days ago
  • 20 hours ago

    Steph Curry has made his feelings clear on Jonathan Kuminga as Warriors star rejects new deal because of one clause

    The Golden State forward has reportedly turned down an offer and has 'explored his options'

    NBA
  • a day ago

    LeBron James could 'destroy' WNBA with new side business as pay gap dispute takes shock new twist

    Mysterious meeting sets out a plan that might not end well for the WNBA

    NBA
  • 2 days ago

    WNBA fans demand spectator is handed lifetime ban over shocking incident during Atlanta vs Golden State clash

    The Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries were shocked after the x-rated moment.

    NBA
  • 2 days ago

    Angel Reese appears to fire back at WNBA legend with cryptic twelve-word post amid pay gap issue

    Reese has responded.

    NBA
  • Michael Jordan had zero doubts when naming the best atmosphere during legendary career that 'always made him nervous'
  • Caitlin Clark made 'one of biggest fumbles ever' with contract as Michael Jordan opportunity wasted
  • Michael Jordan only ever lost one 1v1 in his entire career and it didn't happen in the NBA
  • Michael Jordan demanded unprecedented clause in his Chicago Bulls rookie contract