Michael Jordan received $1 million+ after Coca Cola made the blunder of the century

Michael Jordan was in the ‘beverage sweepstakes’ and Coca Cola lost due to them not wanting to commit long-term to the ‘GOAT’.

Everything from McDonald’s to Wheaties, Michael Jordan was the face of any company that could’ve been considered ‘All-American’. MJ’s endorsements were directly linked to his popularity across the world, with brands wanting to sell Americana, as Adam Silver described it following the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

While Coca Cola doesn’t have American origins, it certainly rose to power in the realm of beverages with a ton of Western influence. By the time the 80s had rolled around, having a Coke with your McDonald’s felt like the most American thing you could indulge in. And Michael Jordan endorsed both of them.

During the mid 1980s when after Jordan had joined the Chicago Bulls, it was clear that his superstar power could be latched onto for endorsements. Coca Cola swooped in a snagged him for a reasonable deal. they plastered him across a plethora of commercials but everything would change come 1991.

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Michael Jordan leaves Coca Cola for Gatorade.

After over half a decade with Coca Cola, Michael Jordan wanted a bigger chunk of the pie. Rightfully so of course as he was the uncontested best player in the league and in some ways, bigger than the league. Coming off of his first ever championship in ’91 after beating Magic Johnson in the NBA Finals, MJ wanted a better deal.

David Falk, MJ’s agent and the man who came up with the name ‘Air Jordan’, wanted his client to be treated the way Coca Cola treats their other celebs like Elton John or Whitney Houston. The 1991 FMVP wanted a 10-year deal worth 7 figures. In a foolish act of spontaneity, they refused.

Upon seeing this, Quaker (who owned Gatorade at the time) took the opportunity to sign Michael Jordan away from the legendary carbonated beverage company. They signed Mike to a 10 year deal worth $13.5 million. He would go on to be the company’s only superstar endorser at the time.

In their first move with Jordan on board, they hit more than a home run. They released the iconic ‘Be Like Mike’ commercial that spread like wildfire. The rest is history.

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