Michael Jordan (Image Source: Getty Images)

The NBA is becoming more and more well-known throughout the world. Blaze Media’s Jason Whitlock just discussed how the league was started. Whitlock claims that the NBA’s recent rise in popularity resulted from Nike’s influential 1980s worldwide marketing campaign with Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan.

When Nike signed him to a five-year, $2.5 million contract in 1984, Jordan was a rookie. The business introduced the Air Jordan footwear brand in April of the following year. Meanwhile, it swiftly exceeded forecasts, bringing in $126 million in sales in its first year.

In 1997, they launched Jordan Brand, contributing to what is widely regarded as the most remarkable sports collaboration in history. According to reports, Jordan Brand brought in $5 billion for Nike in 2022 alone. In that, Michael Jordan took home up to $256 million.

In the Monday edition of “Fearless with Jason Whitlock,” Whitlock dissected the storied collaboration between Nike and Jordan.

Whitlock said: “There is an argument that people don’t understand that Nike actually is the most powerful force in all of sports and in basketball, and they got there through Michael Jordan. Nike is what drove the NBA to climb into full bed with Michael Jordan.”

Whitlock added: “‘And here’s the horse we’re going to ride. His name is Michael Jordan. We’re gonna ride that horse to this international acclaim, and one day, we’re gonna get this contract from China for the NBA that’s gonna surpass any TV deal that you can get domestically.’”

Michael Jordan Paved the Way for Global NBA Expansion Through the Nike Deal

The NBA has grown significantly since Michael Jordan and Nike teamed in the 1980s.
According to Medium, NBA teams were bought for anything from $9.8 million to $120 million in the 1980s. However, as of 2023, Forbes valued every club at least $2.4 billion, with the Golden State Warriors topping the list at $7.7 billion.

In addition, USA Today reports that 1980 players’ average pay was $180,000. According to reports, that amount increased to $900,000 by the end of the decade and to almost $8 million by 2022.

As Jason Whitlock hinted, China is a major source of money for the NBA. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, as of 2022, the league earned around $5 billion a year from China.