Jordan Brand Doesn’t Need Michael Jordan? Ex-NBA Star, Backed by Billion Dollar Brand, Makes a Bold Admission

Published 03/21/2024, 11:29 AM EDT

Michael Jordan and Nike is a legacy partnership that everybody knows about. Jordan brand started in 1984 with Nike offering a $2.5 million deal which was unheard of at the time. In October this year, the partnership will complete 40 years of existence in which countless players have worn the Jordans. One such player was the Sacramento Kings point guard Mike Bibby, now making a bold statement about the brand’s poster boy.

Bibby recently appeared on the Forgotten Seasons YouTube channel where he spoke about his association with the Nike brand and how he doesn’t necessarily think that the Jordan brand needs His Airness.

Dylan Dreyfuss, the co-host of the podcast, asked him, “why don’t the current Jordan brand athletes get the old Player Exclusives sneakers?” Bibby replied: “Because those shoes sell on its own, they need to sell their other stuff. Any retro, any retro you put out it’s going to be sold.”

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Bibby means the Jordan retros are always a hot commodity. People are always on the lookout for a new pair to launch: “They want to try to get these other shoes sold that need to be seen. You know, I mean, so they put guys in different types of shoes, just so they could sell all their shoes. You don’t need Michael Jordan, don’t need help selling shoes his Retros.“

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Mike Bibby is responsible for the famous version of the Michael Jordan Brand

Basketball players considered Michael Jordan one of the top players and would want to follow in his footsteps. Bibby wanted the same thing too. He comes from a family who have great sports lineage. Previously on the Knuckleheads podcast, Bibby shared stories from his time as a Jordan Brand athlete. He was unhappy with PUMA for sending him florescent colored shoes. So his agent suggested if Bibby would like to switch to Jordan. He was excited and said yes right then and there.

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#MikeBibby tells us how he ended up on @jumpman23 brand from the start of his career. Also for anybody who loves to rock the low cut Jordans for so many years now can personally thank Mike Bib & @DerekLAnderson for making that happen!! Tap in!! Ep is live and on @youtube… pic.twitter.com/vUXUOtPoej
— Quentin Richardson (@QRich) August 10, 2023

He further explained how unfathomable it was to imagine everything happening. Getting the shoes, the color of their choice plus their names on it was like a dream for him. Especially since it was the brand of Michael Jordan. Obtaining sneakers also wasn’t hard as the Jordan representative was just a phone call away: “Hey, I need these, and they will come the next day. It was that simple. However, many shoes you want to play in and stuff. Like I said, it was never no.”

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Bibby and Derek Anderson requested a low-cut shoe and it got approved. “It’s crazy, ’cause I asked them too, I’m like, can you make these in a low? I think they might have been the 5s. And they were like, ‘Yeah I think we can make in a low.’ ” And ever since that day, Bibby requested whatever low tops Jordan could be made, to be sent to him.

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Written by:

Pranav Kotai is an NBA beat writer at EssentiallySports. With a master's in sports management and a lifelong passion for basketball, Pranav has an eye for understanding NBA like no other. Pranav is an open encyclopedia of all storylines, with a well-rounded approach to his writing, especially for his favorites like NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley.

Edited by:

Bilal Handoo

Jordan Brand Doesn’t Need Michael Jordan? Ex-NBA Star, Backed by Billion Dollar Brand, Makes a Bold Admission

Mike Bibby is responsible for the famous version of the Michael Jordan Brand

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