Michael jordan influence

Only 15 black executives have ever made it to the chairman or CEO position of a Fortune listed company. Of these 15 executives, there are currently six active.

That was a part of their third dimension. Clyde Frazier was Puma.

Impact of Jordan Brand reaches far beyond basketball - ABC News

George Gervin was Nike. So when Jordan took to the "Air," he was defined. It was 30 years ago when MJ's signature shoe first blessed the court. After he "wear-tested" the Nike Air Ships for the first few months of his NBA career, Jordan -- with the help, ingenuity and foresight of executive Sonny Vaccaro, agent David Falk and designer Peter Moore, among others -- ignited the sneaker game that, three decades later, has become almost as important Michael jordan influence as the game of basketball itself.

Because Jordan's name is still attached to his shoes -- and only his name, not necessarily Nike's -- we connect the signature shoe bearing his name directly to his spirit, performance and being. Logically, we know his sneakers are not going to make us "be like Mike," but there is a commercial and universal belief that having his shoes in our lives makes us more connected to him.

I couldn't afford them. So just being able to work and save up the money to actually buy them was huge. Those have been a hot commodity since day one, so being able to save up for those, that was pretty cool. And since then, I've met Michael Jordan a few times. In the video project created to celebrate the 30 years of Jordan, Tinker Hatfield spoke about designing his first pair of Jordans, and he reinforced his ongoing belief as to why the product continues to resonate.

Because I did feel it spoke to people on several different levels. I told him that I asked Jordan the same question and revealed that Jordan's answer was Jordan. Jordan also added, "Tinker was able to do what he did because of what I did on the court.

I mean, that's done way away from the Jordan Brand. That all would have happened without Michael. In his world, he's right. He's the main ingredient in the big drink here.

Sports on Earth: A Closing Tribute

But of everything I do, I'd say Jordan represents probably about 20 percent of it. Imagine not being able to go anywhere in the world without seeing something you've done, something you've created or some impact you've had on a culture. Hatfield can't even get away from his work on vacation.

He has traveled to the Caribbean, all over Europe and to West Africa, and he said he "never went one place and didn't see something I designed.

In this culture of sports aesthetics, one of the most difficult things to do is separate Tinker Hatfield from the shoes he has designed for the brand named after Michael Jordan.

It is much easier to do that with his other works. The Air Max, Nike's most influential and popular line of sneakers besides the Air Force 1, isn't attached to Hatfield, Nike's vice president of creative concepts, the way his Jordan concepts, designs and inventions are.

To get to this point is beyond expectation. It's a culture within itself, as well as a subculture within sports and commerce that to some degree is beyond explanation. The word "timeless" comes up in the conversation about why we discuss Jordan sneakers after all these years.

When Jordan Brand creative director and co-lead designer Mark Smith was asked about the new Air Jordan XXX, his response spoke to the greater function of the brand's importance and why the brand has sustained that importance for so long.

It's gotta be different. This is a new opportunity for us to build off of something we know works very well, and we listen to the athletes, and the athletes were saying, 'Don't change.

We really like what's going on. We were making meaningful changes based on priority. But that is a fraction of the overall narrative. The genius to be able to remain one of the most significant brands in sports is a shared commodity: In design, creativity can be seen as the key factor.Columnist for initiativeblog.com and ESPN The Magazine Wrote for Slam, XXL, 6 years with NBA; 4 years with Nike In the winter of , something more than Michael Jordan was happening, something unknown.

In this culture of sports aesthetics, one of the most difficult things to do is separate Tinker Hatfield from the shoes he has designed for the brand named after Michael Jordan.

It is much easier. Michael Jordan's contribution to black issues is greater than perceived, Scoop Jackson writes. His example as a business leader who empowers minorities is invaluable.

Jordan's Lasting Legacy

By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Although, a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do it justice, as a phenomenal. Michael Jordan changed the face of basketball, and sports, with his superior athletic ability and knack for marketing and endorsements.

His contributions Michael Jordan & His Positive Impact on Basketball | initiativeblog.com Michael Jordan's contribution to black issues is greater than perceived, Scoop Jackson writes.

His example as a business leader who empowers minorities is invaluable.