Apart from his legacy in the NBA, Michael Jordan, a name synonymous with Basketball and success, is also known for his competitive spirit and sheer dedication to his brand, Jordan. This dedication once even led him to order a group of teens to get rid of their AND1s’. The story came to light when the well-known duo ‘Knuckleheads’ recently sat down for a live show in Chicago. They revealed how Jordan handed them their first big deal. However, there was a twist, they had to dispose off their AND1s’.

Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, who made it to the league as 3rd and 18th overall pick in 2000, were trying to land deals. Still, in search, the duo had AND1s on, which were quite popular back in the day. After one of their games at Jordan Flight School, a youth basketball camp, Jordan walked up to them and asked, “f**k yall got this sh*t on?” The duo, stunned by MJ’s presence were too shocked to say anything. But what the 6X NBA champion said next was more worthy of the reaction.

The former LA Clippers players briefed the incident further. “We was like sh*t. like you know like we didn’t know he had Jordan brand and all starting and shit. And he was like ‘Man y’all get rid of that shit man’ like ‘y’all gon be with me’. And we like um okay we dint know like what that meant but we like f**k Mike said we gon be with him so you know” Q-Rich said.

He also mentioned that Jordan did not delay or regret his decision. We know that when it comes to business Michael Jordan doesn’t play around. The 44-year-old further revealed how the NBA great ended up sending them a contract the very next day! He said, “The next morning our agent called us and was like man what y’all do.”

The duo baffled by their agents’ question was left in a dilemma before their agents said, “man they just sent me a contract. Y’all gonna sign with Jordan.” 

Success followed soon after, the duo became a sensation and Q-Rich ended up playing with 5 NBA teams before retirement. His feats have also gotten him into his university’s athletic Hall Of Fame. However, the growth wasn’t his alone.

The Jordan and And1 rivalry

Michael Jordan signed up with Nike in 1984. Although now $142.15 billion, the company played a huge bet on Jordan, who back then was a rising star. However, they got more than what they asked for back. On the other hand, AND1, started back in 1993 by 3 friends selling t-shirts in the back of their car, did exceptionally well in their initial year. Later, however, they risked things by trying to find their own Michael Jordan.

The plan, although a good one, backfired on the company. AND1 signed the former Boston Celtics player Stephon Marbury who they thought could be a game-changer for the company. They planned on becoming Nike’s biggest rival when it came to endorsements in the NBA. The fate though, was in Nike’s favor as they hit the jackpot with MJ.

After signing Jordan in 1985, they had aimed to make $3 million in the first three years. But they $126 million in the very first year. Last year, the Jordan brand hit $5 billion. The Hall of Famer is no less than a cultural icon for the whole sport and his sheer dedication and hard work made him one of the greatest to ever grace the court.

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