Michael Jordan smashed all four clauses inserted into his Nike deal to keep massive contract alive

Michael Jordan and Nike. It's hard to imagine one without the other, isn't it? But in the mid 80s, their paths came close to never crossing – and it would have changed the sport forever.

Jordan and Nike share the most recognisable and lucrative athlete-brand partnership in sports history.

But once upon a time, the basketball legend used to partner with their company's rivals. That's right. Back in his college days at the University of North Carolina, Jordan looked destined to sign a deal with either Adidas or Converse.

The upcoming star preferred the three-stripe brand but on the court, he sported a pair of Converse because Dean Smith and the UNC at Chapel Hill were sponsored by them.

In the movie 'Air', it was revealed that after games Jordan would switch back into his Adidas gear.

So, how did he end up at Nike rather than one of the two basketball giants at the time?

Nike had a budget of $250,000 to try and sign up three to four players from the 1984 NBA Draft. However, as revealed in 'Air', Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro abandoned that idea and forced the company to use the entire budget on Jordan.

To persuade Jordan to sign, Nike offered the future Hall of Famer a five-year, $2.5 million contract for after his rookie season.

To cover their backs in case Jordan flopped upon turning pro, Nike inserted four clauses into the deal – but Jordan needed to achieve just one of them to keep his deal going.

Image credit: Getty

The four requirements were as followed – be named to an All-Star or All-NBA team; win Rookie of the Year; average 20+ points per game or sell over $4 million worth of Nike Air Jordans.

Surprise surprise, the Chicago Bulls star smashed all of those requirements and remained with Nike for his entire career.

By the end of his rookie season, Jordan had averaged 28+ points per game and had sold $162 million worth of sneakers. He was also crowned Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Star and All-NBA second team.

The rest, as they say, is history. Both player and brand had profited hugely from the partnership, with Jordan making an estimated $1.6 billion up until 2023.

In fact, Jordan could have earned even more money had he accepted a lucrative offer to fight a boxing legend.