The 90s were a strange time in human history. Michael Jordan was a God-like figure in sports, so to speak. And he was also the subject of a few superstitions.
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Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the most famous team athlete in American sports history. He was the first basketball player to have a truly global appeal. In fact, his visibility in the USA is still higher than LeBron James, who’s been at the top of the game for a decade and a half.
This visibility was great for him in terms of his financial and social standing. It helped him relaunch Nike to the world as America’s finest sportswear brand. His association with the Swoosh is now bordering on 37 years old.
Nike’s first contract with Michael Jordan allowed them to terminate the deal if his shoes didn’t make $4m by the 3rd year:
— The shoes made $70m in 3 months
— He earns $100m+ a year from royalties
— He’s made over $1Bn from his shoes pic.twitter.com/RIq6vIcn1l— The Numbers Game (@Tngtweets1) April 5, 2021
Parents would ask Michael Jordan to touch and bless their babies
Tim Grover was the personal trainer for His Airness through most of his life in basketball. The renowned physio says that the fandom he saw for Mike is unlike anything he’s seen in the past:
“If you watch the old videos of The Beatles, how people used to surround them, that’s how it was with him (Jordan) wherever he went.”
“Individuals would literally hand their children and just say, ‘Touch my baby’ because they thought he had this like magical powers. It was the craziest thing.”
Many sporting superstars have built a brand as larger-than-life characters, but no one was more successful than MJ at this. His individual greatness, artistry on the court and team achievements combined to make him the complete package.
All in all, the fact that parents were so superstitious about his aura speaks volumes about his impact on everyone.
