“Michael Jordan Jordan Saved a Company”: Kevin Garnett in Awe of Sonny Vaccaro’s Speech on MJ

It has become a common practice for NBA athletes to ink lucrative shoe deals with brands, which are sometimes even more exorbitant than their NBA contracts. But this wasn’t a reality before Michael Jordan broke into the scene, reshaping the structure of sports marketing.

That is probably why the Big Ticket took to Instagram to share a famous clip of former Nike and Adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro, who notably signed MJ to his first deal with Nike. The famed sports marketing expert explained how Jordan saved the company and paved the way for future athletes to capitalize on their talents.

Vaccaro declared that regardless of one’s opinion on the basketball GOAT debate, MJ should be unanimously regarded as the greatest businessman and entrepreneur in the world of sports and a trail blazer for the sneaker industry.

“What Michael Jordan did… he started a whole new world for athletes. I don’t know about the GOAT [of basketball], but I do know, there’s one GOAT in Michael Jordan. The GOAT of marketing, the GOAT of making money, the GOAT of being part-owner. Michael Jordan opened that,” Vaccaro stated.

The 85-year-old also stressed on the fact that MJ paved the way for Black athletes to be owners of franchises, and be successful in the world of equity and investment.

It makes sense why Garnett would publicly thank Jordan for his contributions to the sneaker industry, as KG raked in multiple seven-figure shoe deals over his illustrious 21-year career. Before Jordan, sneakers weren’t a way for players to showcase their individuality and flair.

Both KG and Vacarro recognize that without Jordan’s unsatiable efforts to make a name for himself, opportunities wouldn’t have been available for future stars.

“Michael Jordan, to the world, should be remembered as starting an industry that was not there. You can like Michael, you can not like Michael… But one thing the world knows, Michael Jordan saved a company that now is as big as it can be…There’s no question about the superiority of Nike,” Vaccaro continued.

Over the years, the Jordan brand has been able to separate itself from Nike, essentially becoming its own entity. Even when Nike’s stock has plummeted in recent years, MJ’s line of sneakers continues to dominate the market. Thanks to its expansion into women’s gear, non-basketball items and an increase in international sales, Jordan brand revenue has doubled since 2020.

The success of the Jordan brand goes far past the raw financial numbers, though. MJ was able to take the marketing game to the next level by including superstars from other genres of the era in his commercials, including director Spike Lee and musical sensation Michael Jackson.

By including familiar names that even non-sports fans could recognize and adding catchy slogans to his shoe advertisements, Jordan was able to get his shoe into the hands of anyone and everyone, even those who had never stepped foot on a basketball court.

The efforts MJ made during his rising stardom have continued to inspire future athletes’ own marketing tactics.