Michael Jordan Says George Raveling Left Him With 3 Gifts, Reveals Lesser-Known Role

The basketball world has lost one of its quiet visionaries with the passing of George Raveling at age 88 after a battle with cancer. Though he built a respected career, his influence extended far beyond the sidelines. He became a trusted mentor to Michael Jordan and the unsung architect of the sneaker revolution. At a pivotal moment, it was Raveling who guided a young Jordan toward Nike, a decision that gave birth to the Air Jordan legacy and reshaped sports marketing forever. The loss is deeply personal for Jordan, who released a rare public statement expressing profound grief over the passing of a man he called both a mentor and a friend.

George Raveling was a trailblazer in basketball and beyond. The first African American head coach in the Pac-8 Conference, he led programs at Washington State, Iowa, and USC, earning respect for shaping players on and off the court. Later, as Nike’s director of International Basketball, he played a crucial role in globalizing the sport. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, Raveling was also a civil rights advocate who safeguarded Martin Luther King Jr.’s original “I Have a Dream” speech. And now, as the world remembers the legend, former ESPN insider Darren Rovell released Michael Jordan’s statement responding to George Raveling’s demise.

“I’m deeply saddened to hear about George’s passing,” read MJ’s statement. “For more than 40 years, he blessed my life with wisdom, encouragement, and friendship. He was a mentor in every sense, and I’ll always carry deep gratitude for his guidance. I signed with Nike because of George, and without him, there would be no Air Jordan. He lived an extraordinary life, breaking barriers and paving the way for so many who came after him. My thoughts are with Delores, Mark, and George’s many, many friends.”

Jordan’s words reflect that their friendship has remained strong long after Raveling left coaching and Nike. As he explicitly stated, his mentor is the reason Air Jordan exists. With Air Jordan, the Jumpman himself became a cultural icon, the first billionaire athlete, and created the blueprint from player to team owner.

While Raveling deserves immense credit for connecting Michael Jordan with Nike, it was the “wisdom, encouragement, and friendship” that mattered the most to Jordan even today. That kind of mentorship reflected the influence Raveling himself once received. In 1963, his 6’4″ frame landed him a role as volunteer security at the March on Washington, where he found himself on stage for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“At the end of the speech,” Raveling recalled in 2020, “as Dr. King finished and started to fold his speech, as he walked away, I just said—I don’t know why, just impulsively said: ‘Dr. King, can I have that copy?’ And he turned and handed it to me.” For 25 years, Raveling told no one he held the original manuscript–“My wife didn’t even know that I had it,”–only revealing it in 1983 while coaching at Iowa. He later donated it to Villanova in 2021, ensuring King’s legacy would endure.

Raveling’s life embodied the intersection of sport, culture, and history. He was not only a pioneering coach and a catalyst for the global sneaker revolution but also a steward of one of America’s most iconic artifacts. His ability to bridge generations—carrying forward King’s legacy while shaping Jordan’s—cements his place as a figure whose impact reached far beyond basketball, touching both civil rights history and global sports culture.

George Raveling’s impact on generations

George Raveling deserves credit for transforming Nike from the verge of bankruptcy. Popular lore credits Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, and brand maker, Howard White, for getting the NBA legend to Swoosh. But that little nudge from Jordan’s coach is discounted in the grand scheme of things.

They met during the ’84 Olympics tryouts. George Raveling was an Olympic assistant when he had the UNC standout, Michael Jordan, under his wing. MJ had been introduced to Adidas through Team USA and was impressed with the quality enough that after winning gold in the ’84 Olympics, he wanted to sign with them. Nike, then a bankrupt brand, made an offer first, but MJ gave Adidas multiple chances to sign him.

In The Last Dance, we only saw how MJ’s parents pushed him towards Nike. But in the 2023 biopic, Air, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling showed his influence. Even Jordan said a decade earlier, “He used to always try to talk to me, ‘You gotta go Nike, you gotta go Nike. You’ve got to try.’”

Jordan took his advice, the Jumpman was born, and the rest was history. And Nike made sure the icon was rewarded just the same.

Raveling was not a Nike employee when he served their superstar on a platter. A 1994 car crash ended his coaching career, and Nike hired him as the Director of International Basketball. He authored two books during that time, which His Airness inexplicably contributed to.

Air revived interest in Raveling. But coaches would say he played a part in shaping their lives long before that.

George Raveling’s family wrote that he “faced cancer with courage and grace,” and “transitioned peacefully, surrounded by family.” He is survived by his family, mentees like Michael Jordan, and an unparalleled legacy.