Michael Jordan doesn't only own a brand with his last name on it; he lives by the quality they produce. Jordan wears only Jordans and expects people around him to wear Jordans, as indicated by a story told by boxer and former Middleweight champion Andre Ward on All The Smoke.
"We're all in a boardroom at the facility. He comes in there scanning shoes. You know I was good, but one of my guys had on some Adidas, though. People in that industry, they take it seriously. He came in and was like, 'What's up with your man?' I'm like, 'I told you, bro, not to wear them'. He ain't right for that. Almost (made him take the shoes off)."
Ward is one of the oldest athletes signed with Jordan Brand, having been associated with them since 2004. Since then, he's built a strong relationship with the brand and MJ himself. He detailed how it felt like to meet MJ for the first time.
"I don't get in awe of people. That's not from a disrespectful standpoint it was like, 'Oh, that's so and so.' But Mike is different. He got an aura about him. He not even trying, he's just Mike. I was on their radar and there was a lot of back and forth. They'd send me a couple of boxes and a lot for talking, there was a couple of years of that. Then we finally locked in a deal. But Mike man, he got an aura man. He walks in a room and man. If he walked in here right now everything gonna stop. He talks crazy when he is competing to this day. I got a lot of love for Mike."
Ward retired from boxing undefeated with a record of 32-0 and is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Andre Ward Explained His Relationship With Michael Jordan
Basketball fans might not be aware of how deep the ties between Ward and Jordan are. He's been working with the brand since 2004. To put that in context, Carmelo Anthony became only the second signature athlete for the Jordan Brand in 2003.
He explained the depth of his relationship with the Jordan Brand and how he views MJ and other executives like family.
"It’s a beautiful thing. I like to call the relationship family. It’s not just a big corporation that you get a check from. It’s truly a family. It’s Jordan, Larry Miller, and Howard H. White. Those guys have been around for so many years. It’s always been a lot of love. I’m cutting my documentary right now and Jordan is in it. Jordan doesn’t do interviews and things like that just shows you the kind of love and respect that he has for me and I consider him the greatest of all time. The fact that he’s a regular person and I can pick up the phone and call him anytime I need him, it’s unbelievable."
Jordan reportedly earns about $6 million from his company in under nine days, an incredible testament to the success he's created. Even boxers like Ward have found solace in the sneaker empire that began because one athlete didn't want to just be a Nike athlete but wanted to create something of his own out of the incredible popularity he had built.
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