“Michael Jordan almost left Nike, until Tinker Hatfield and the Air Jordan 3 came along!”: How Nike kept the Bulls legend and made memorable ads with Spike Lee 

Jeet Pukhrambam | 06/06/2022
Michael Jordan almost left Nike in 1991. Yes, the man who pushed the brand to the top almost left them high and dry. But why didn't he? 

Michael Jordan almost left Nike in 1991. Yes, the man who pushed the brand to the top almost left them high and dry. But why didn’t he? 

How does a brand even let go of an athlete who built the whole thing? Fortunately for Nike, they don’t have to answer this question.

But, there was a time when Michael Jordan almost left Nike. Yes, as unbelievable as that might sound, His Airness was ready to jump ship. Michael was not satisfied with the Air Jordan 2.

Adidas, Nike’s arch-rivals were ready to swoop in. Despite the overwhelming fears of his departure, he did not leave. The reason? A certain designer named Tinker Hatfield had come on board.

He was in charge of designing the successor to the Air Jordan 2s, the shoe that the Bulls legend famously hated. Tinker got to work and the result was a shoe that impressed everyone, including Jordan himself.

At the time, there was another African-American entering the limelight, Spike Lee. His movie She’s gotta have it is making the waves in Brooklyn. Soon, Spike Lee was a household name.

Also read: “The Air Jordan 1 almost did not happen thanks to Michael Jordan’s wish to sign with Adidas”: His Airness’ Mother is the reason why Jordan Brand exists

The partnership that convinced Michael Jordan to stay on board and helped Spike Lee become a household name!

Nike decided to take the help of Spike and use him in ads featuring Michael and the new Air Jordan 3s. Directed by Wieden and Kennedy, the ads are some of the most recognizable ones from the Jordan era.

The “It must be the shoes!” ad sets are basically unforgettable. Spike Lee asks a young MJ what makes him so special? Iconic.

The other one is appropriately called “hang time”. Featuring MJ and Spike once again, this time Spike reprises his role as Mars Blackmon and talks about his secret for being the best player on Mars. It’s Air Jordans.

It remains one of the greatest feats in advertising. Nike managed to convince Michael Jordan to stay on board and use the power of a rising star like Spike Lee. That is the reason why it is the biggest brand in the world.

Also read: “Michael Jordan lost and scored only 16 points when he debuted the Air Jordan 1s”: When the Chicago Bulls rookie’s signature shoe launch was a disaster 

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam
Michael Jordan NBA

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

Don’t miss these