The Downside of Michael Jordan's Life

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If he didn't either win Rookie of the Year or win the NBA Finals or win the MVP, there was an out in the contract. They were basically like, we will give you the entire farm or 5% of the farm if you are a phenom and if you're not. There's this great quote from Jordan when he retired for the first time: Phil Knight and Nike have made me into a dream. And that's very sweet on the surface, but that's very dark underneath of it.

Nike — it’s perhaps the most iconic and most prolific brand of the modern era. On any given day, swooshes adorn the feet of more people on earth than any other footwear company — by a long shot.

If you read Shoe Dog or watched Air, you may think you know its history. But Shoe Dog ends in 1980, and Air… well let’s just say it’s an enjoyable piece of fiction. And it turns out (as always) that the real story is filled with far more drama, twists and business lessons than either of those works.

We’ve been wanting to cover Nike for a long time, and thanks to our LPs who voted to choose this episode it’s finally here. So lace up your Vaporflys, Air Maxes, Dunks or Jordans (or your Monarchs, hey we don’t judge), head out for a long run or walk and enjoy!

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