In 1984, Nike was dying in basketball shoes.
Adidas was the king - the brand every player dreamed of wearing.
Then, Adidas made the most expensive mistake in sports history and handed Nike their empire.
Here's the full story: 🧵
It's early 1984, and Nike is getting crushed.
Basketball was controlled by two giants:
Converse that had Magic and Bird.
And Adidas that had Kareem.
Nike?
A pathetic 17% market share and no stars on board.
They needed a miracle...
A promising college guard was about to sign with Adidas.
His dream brand since day one.
Then, at the final meeting, Adidas decided:
They weren't interested in basketball.
The name of this kid?
Michael Jordan.
Nike saw their chance...
They decided to make Jordan an unprecedented offer:
- $500K per year - 5x anyone else.
- His own shoe line.
- Complete creative control.
The sports world thought Nike was crazy.
Then, their worst nightmare came true...
October 18th, 1984:
Jordan steps onto the court in black and red Nikes.
Nike had forgotten one small detail:
An NBA rule: shoes must be white.
The league banned them instantly.
Nike's choice:
Change colors or pay $5,000 per game.
Nike's response?
To pay every single fine.
Over $410K!
And turn it into an ad:
"The NBA can't keep you from wearing them."
The 'banned' campaign exploded:
Kids wanted the shoes the NBA didn't want them to have.
Stores couldn't keep them in stock.
Fights broke out over new releases.
Nike had created something new: sneaker culture.
And the sales numbers?
Nike's original sales goal: $3 million
What they actually sold: $126 million.
In just one year!!!
NBA fines: $5,000 per game ($410k total)
Marketing value: Priceless.
The sneaker industry would never be the same.
The transformation was stunning:
1984: Nike Basketball = $40M
1985: $126M
1990: $1B
Jordan Brand alone = $5.1B
Adidas watched their mistake turn into billions.
The greatest part?
Jordan has made $1.7B from Nike.
That's more money than he earned in the NBA.
All because Adidas said:
"Sorry, we're not interested in basketball."
Today, Nike and Jordan Brand control 86% of basketball shoes.
Adidas? Barely 5%.
One meeting in 1984 changed everything.
Not just for shoes. For all of sports marketing.
The lesson?
In business, products can be copied.
Prices can be matched.
Features can be improved.
But culture?
That's forever.
And Nike didn't just build shoes.
They built a movement.
That's a wrap!
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