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  6. article_body => "<p dir=\"ltr\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-9aae3ac4-7fff-d2ae-513b-181cd648bc72\">Hearing Michael Jordan even say the name Adidas is a bit jarring. Jordan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/bulls\/last-dance-depicts-michael-jordans-shoes-becoming-marketing-phenomenon\" target=\"_blank\">Air Jordan shoes and several ad campaigns made Jordan and Nike synonymous<\/a> that raised the relevance of both.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Episode 5 of \u201cThe Last Dance\u201d went into how Jordan\u2019s shoe deal with Nike came about. His agent, David Falk, said it began with Converse, which was the official shoe of the NBA at the time.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Converse had the big NBA stars of the day on their roster: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving, among others.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cConverse had big players and told me we can not envision you being put ahead of them,\u201d Jordan said in the documentary. \u201dOK, fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">So Converse was out of the running.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>MORE LAST DANCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/bulls\/michael-jordan-denies-role-isiah-thomas-dream-team-snub-gets-jabs\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Jordan denies role in Isiah Thomas Dream Team snub, but gets jabs in<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Jordan\u2019s next admission was that he was a big Adidas fan at the time and there was even a clip of a younger Jordan saying how much he liked Adidas shoes.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cI was Adidas,\u201d Jordan said on \u201cThe Last Dance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Wait, Jordan wanted to be with Adidas? How did it end up with Nike?<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Falk finished off the story that has to have Adidas executives losing their minds.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cAdidas was really dysfunctional by that time and they had just told me \u2018We\u2019d love to have Jordan, we just can\u2019t make a shoe work at this point in time,\u2019\u201d Falk said. \u201cI wanted Michael to go with Nike because they were the upstart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The rest is history, but a world where Jordan signed with Adidas instead of Nike is a culture-shifting possibility and wasn\u2019t all that far off from happening.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-27647489-7fff-53b7-5db2-d83b49e57092\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/sports-uncovered\/episodes\/176add88-2b91-4ffc-b25d-44d98dcb40e6\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb676790335f?site_id=Dig_RSN_Chi&creative_id=nbcschi1138&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcschi1138\">Click here<\/a> to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/bulls\">Bulls<\/a> easily on your device.<\/em><\/p>\n"
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Bulls

Bulls

Hearing Michael Jordan even say the name Adidas is a bit jarring. Jordan’s Air Jordan shoes and several ad campaigns made Jordan and Nike synonymous that raised the relevance of both.

Episode 5 of “The Last Dance” went into how Jordan’s shoe deal with Nike came about. His agent, David Falk, said it began with Converse, which was the official shoe of the NBA at the time.

Converse had the big NBA stars of the day on their roster: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving, among others.

“Converse had big players and told me we can not envision you being put ahead of them,” Jordan said in the documentary. ”OK, fine.”

So Converse was out of the running.

MORE LAST DANCE: Michael Jordan denies role in Isiah Thomas Dream Team snub, but gets jabs in

Jordan’s next admission was that he was a big Adidas fan at the time and there was even a clip of a younger Jordan saying how much he liked Adidas shoes.

“I was Adidas,” Jordan said on “The Last Dance.”

Wait, Jordan wanted to be with Adidas? How did it end up with Nike?

Falk finished off the story that has to have Adidas executives losing their minds.

“Adidas was really dysfunctional by that time and they had just told me ‘We’d love to have Jordan, we just can’t make a shoe work at this point in time,’” Falk said. “I wanted Michael to go with Nike because they were the upstart.”

The rest is history, but a world where Jordan signed with Adidas instead of Nike is a culture-shifting possibility and wasn’t all that far off from happening.

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