It was 1984, the year of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, the Apple Macintosh, Hulk Hogan, Ghostbusters, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Sally Field. However there was something else going on as well. Adidas was looking for a prominent athlete to help sell some sportswear.
An up-and-coming NBA player, that was lauded by Sports Illustrated in his first season as a star, thought he might have a chance at selling some shoes. He was 6’6″, African American, and played for the Chicago Bulls.
Just a little ol’ fella named Michael Jordan. Ya know, arguably one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.
Funny thing about this though, is that Adidas thought he was too short to sell their stuff. They would rather go after seven-footers like Abdul-Jabbar. Don’t assume that everyone was OK with this within the company, because many people weren’t. Distributors thought Jordan should have got the gig, saying that consumers can’t relate to a 7′ tall guy. Executives pushed back and ultimately put the hammer down, locking Jordan out of the running.
Knowing what’s transpired since, you can bet Adidas has been kicking themselves for decades. Maybe not just kicking themselves, but also mandating some self-flagellation. You really missed out, Adidas (and Nike got him instead, no less). Oh well.
You win some, you lose some. Maybe companies should listen to their distributors, because the ones who are in contact with the people who actually buy a product might know a thing or two about what sponsorships could fuel some major sales. Needless to say, they’ll likely never make the same mistake again.
Thanks to NESN for the lesson in hindsight.
