Michael Jordan Slams NBA Players' Signature Shoe Logos

"Now it's like, it's a prerequisite. You know, everybody has to have a logo," explained Jordan. Mike Tirico pointed to Jordan and said, "You know why, right?"

Jordan answered, "Well, I'm pretty sure I'm part of the reason why everybody tries to get it logo. But the thing is that brand is established based on what I did on the basketball court. I didn't put the brand before I put the work. I put the work first, and then the brand evolved based on the work, right?"

Jordan explained, "A lot of times, it's different. We didn't see it in every sport, not just basketball, football, baseball, everybody's walking around with a logo on their hat, and I get it, but whatever I did here, it's never gonna affect what I do on the basketball court."

Jordan acknowledged Tirico's point about players having to cut through the clutter of social media. He even praised them for how they are handling the new media atmosphere. However, Jordan concluded, "I like to think that most of the time that people will remember Michael Jordan based on what he did on the basketball court, and not always the commercial thing to do."

Jordan's sneaker history is well-documented. After a successful college career with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Jordan signed with Nike before the start of his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls.

He debuted his first signature sneaker, the Air Jordan 1, in November 1984. The shoes hit shelves in April 1985 and smashed sales expectations. In September 1997, Nike launched Jordan Brand, and it has since spread throughout sports, culture, and entertainment.

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