“Something is Banned”: Michael Jordan’s $2.2 Billion Net Worth Was Built Over ‘NBA’s Mistake’

Michael Jordan is fondly remembered for many things. His prolific career in the NBA, his competitive spirit, and his status as the greatest player of all time. But, it’s sometimes hard to remember that His Airness is also a fashion icon.

While he may not have been spotted in eccentric outfits like his former teammate Dennis Rodman, Jordan was responsible for an entire fashion movement. After all, his Air Jordan brand is still one of the trendiest brands in the world today. And, perhaps the most iconic thing the brand has produced is the classic Air Jordan 1.

It truly was a splendid shoe, one that redefined basketball shoes. However, the first version, the Bred 1s was banned by the NBA. A real travesty, but one that Nike, Air Jordan’s parent company capitalized on, putting MJ on the path to his $2.2 billion net worth.

Michael Jordan and Nike made millions off of the NBA’s decision to ban the first-ever Air Jordan shoe

In 1985, Nike made headlines when it released its first-ever Air Jordan shoe. An eye-catching red and black model that had both a sleek design and looked incredibly fashionable. A model, that was unfortunately banned by the NBA.

At the time, the league had a rule, only allowing players to wear white shoes. This was a rule that many considered harsh, but was enforced nonetheless, as it was made clear that Michael Jordan would be fined $5000 every time he was seen playing with the shoe.

So, what did Nike do? Well, according to Sonny Vaccaro the company basically said “f**k ’em”. As he states in Roland Lazenby’s book Michael Jordan: The Life, the company decided to have Jordan wear the shoe anyway and were even grateful for the brilliant marketing opportunity the league had handed them.

“Strasser quickly decided that Nike was going to have Jordan wear the shoes anyway and that the company would pay his fines each night. Plus they were going to tell fans about the banned shoes through an ad campaign. The NBA couldn’t have handed the shoe manufacturer a better marketing platform. ‘When you tell the public that something is banned, what does the public always do?’ Vaccaro recalled with a laugh. ‘Tell them you’re not allowed to do something and they’ll do it.'”

It was a brilliant move, one that became the foundation for His Airness’ massive $2.2 billion net worth. And, as for the banned shoe itself, it has made a comeback on several occasions since its initial release.

MJ’s banned shoes have been re-released as Air Jordan 1 “Banned” a total of six times

Nowadays, it’s nigh impossible to get a pair of Bred 1s. The original version of the shoe was banned by the NBA. However, sneakerheads can cop a pair of Air Jordan 1 “Banned”. The closest resemblance to the Bred 1 has been released and re-released a total of six times, in 1994, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2020.

It truly is an exceptional model and design. And, knowing how the sneaker market works, there are plenty of people out there who would kill for a pair of these.