Michael Jordan once banned his own team from wearing his Nike shoes after incident

A furious Michael Jordan once issued a ban on wearing his iconic Jordan shoes to the team he owned, according to former NBA player Stephen Jackson.

As well as being one of the greatest players to ever grace a basketball court, Jordan remains a figurehead of one of the most iconic sports lines in history – Air Jordan.

Air Jordan was produced by Nike for the first time in 1984 and to this day, the ‘Jumpman’ logo is synonymous in modern day culture, with the brand reportedly generating $7 billion in sales in 2024.

In fact, as of 2024, the Jordan brand is believed to be responsible for $6.59 billion in revenue, a sum that equates to 13 per cent of Nike’s total sales, according to Essentially Sports.

Back in 2010, Jordan purchased a majority share in the Charlotte Bobcats franchise, now known as the Charlotte Hornets, for a price of $275 million.

A 47-year-old at the time, Jordan once ordered the Bobcats to take off their Jordan shoes after suffering a defeat in the league.

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson revealed Jordan was furious and ordered the team’s first team players to take part in a scrimmage, without their Jordans, against Jordan and a lineup of second string players.

"We got our a-- beat by somebody, and he came in the locker room after the game just going off on us, like, 'We need to get our s--t together," Jackson said on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.

Michael Jordan bought a majority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats. Image credit: Getty

"I made some little comment or something like that. He ain't say nothing, so he came into practice the next day. ... He's going off.

“He came out there, pushed whoever Gerald Wallace was guarding, the three-guard, kicked him out and got in that spot, played with the second team.

“He scored a couple points, and to the point where he talked so much s--t afterward, he grabbed the ball and went and dunked one on the way out. True story.”

Beating the Bobcats first-team as a 47-year-old further points that Jordan truly is the greatest basketball player of all time, a sentiment that Jackson agrees with.

He added: “That's why he's the GOAT. That's why I'm wearing his shoes.”