Driven from Within

by Michael Jordan

  At one point in time that image might have resonated with a core consumer, but after that’s over, where do you go? You can’t go backwards. All of our competitors are trying to work up to Brand Jordan because we have sustained a level of style and creativity for 20 years.

  AS LONG AS WE STAY TRUE, STAY HONEST, STAY STYLISH, STAY INNOVATIVE, STAY FOCUSED ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, THEN NO ONE WILL CATCH US BECAUSE WE’RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE LEADING.

  FADS ARE FADS; THEY COME AND GO.

  THAT’S NOT WHAT BRAND JORDAN IS ABOUT. AND THAT’S NOT WHO I AM.

  Why did I get into motorcycle racing? Because no one else can, or will. The Jordan brand has been established based on the idea that we can do things that no one else can or would do. We have been successful for 20 years because we have remained committed to creating our own style.

  It’s the difference between making those highly calculated decisions versus listening to your gut. Now there’s certainly a place for research and analysis, but who says all those numbers add up to the right answer? You have to know. Apparel is fashion. It’s a six-month cycle. Looks change about every six months. If you are not prepared to change that quick, then you are going to be left behind.

  WE ARE RIGHT THERE WITH THE FASHION LEADERS.

  IN MOST CASES, WE’RE AHEAD OF THEM. WE CAN CHANGE. WE CAN PUT OUT SOME WILD STUFF.

  We might not make $10 million, but we can make $1 million or $2 million and still attract consumers who want to see what’s next.

  TO ME, JORDAN IS RAP, CONTEMPORARY YET CLASSIC. BUT IT’S STILL RAP.

  YOU CAN SEE FASHION IN A CIRCLE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE ON THE CIRCLE, AND THEN YOU CAN JUMP AHEAD. I’M ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW PEOPLE ARE DRESSING, IDENTIFYING THE TRENDS, WATCHING HOW WOMEN ARE DRESSING. I WATCH WOMEN’S CLOTHES BECAUSE THEY ARE THE STYLE LEADERS. MEN’S FASHION IS ALWAYS INFLUENCED BY WOMEN.

  TINKER HATFIELD Nike has tried to replicate what we have done with Brand Jordan, just like a lot of other people. But there’s never been a situation like this one with Michael. When somebody signs a shoe contract, they expect to be the next Michael Jordan. They all say that. They all expect it to happen.

  But it hasn’t happened since Michael. When magic happens, it’s often an unusual confluence of events. There is something about the combination that makes the magic. Being a former athlete, for example, and being a designer is not common. That alone is unique. Michael is a very unique person for all the reasons we now know. Phil Knight was very progressive. Nike was an aggressive, swashbuckling kind of place. Crazy things happened all the time at Nike in those days. Not just Michael Jordan, but other things that only could have happened there.

  I think all of that just came to a nice little intersection.

  You read about athletes or performers who knew when they were 7 years old they wanted to win an Oscar or compete in the Olympics. They put everything into those dreams, and with a little bit of luck it sometimes happened.

  That definitely was not the case here. We were flying by the seat of our pants, hoping to do the best job we could. No one, including Michael and Phil Knight, ever thought it would become anything like it has become.

  NOTHING LIKE THIS HAD EVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND IT MAY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. WE WERE DEFINITELY HOPING TO MAKE BETTER PRODUCTS, MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, DEVELOP A GOOD BUSINESS, BUT THE RESULT HAS BEEN PRETTY DARNED AMAZING.

  HOWARD “H” WHITE Forget about Michael for a moment. It’s hard for most people to dig deep enough within themselves to understand his core.

  IF ALL YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOURSELF IS WHERE YOU STOP, THEN YOU CAN’T APPRECIATE WHERE HE’S GONE.

  Here’s a guy who has created millions and millions of dollars that have trickled down to all kinds of people and businesses. But that has never been the point for Michael. It was about a deep, yet fundamental process of getting something done.

  Look at all these pieces that combined to create something phenomenal. Tinker: White boy, from way out there somewhere in Oregon. I’m a guy that comes in from the East Coast. MJ’s a Southern boy from North Carolina. Phil is a Stanford MBA. These eclectic parts created something far bigger than they were individually.

  I bring my creativity to the table, combine it with what Mark Smith is able to do, then Tinker comes in, and we peak. The next thing you know, something beautiful has evolved, even though we’ve come from completely different angles.

  If any one of us had such a strong sense of being right, or a desire to win the discussion and impose our will on the group, then it wouldn’t produce the same product. We realize everybody in the circle is creative, and that your twist with my turn with his nuance is beautiful to see.

  WE BRING OUR PERSONALITIES, OUR VISIONS AND OUR CREATIVITY TO THE DISCUSSION, AND WE DON’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT GETTING CREDIT.

  We are there to create something beautiful, something representative of what the brand is all about. What I think they like about me is that I can admit when I’m wrong, and I can accept criticism. And I can accept creative insight coming from someone other than myself.

  There are a lot of people who can’t do that, or won’t allow themselves to. They feel like it’s an attack on their intelligence, or a negative comment on their ideas. They want so much credit that they can’t share the credit. But that dynamic is just as destructive inside a creative team or a corporate setting as it is on the basketball court.

  IN ITS HIGHEST FORM, BUSINESS IS A TEAM GAME.

  The teams that can accept that philosophy are the teams that have the best chance—long term—to be successful. Team sports are no different. Give me five guys who want to work hard and play together, and I’ll take those guys every time over more talented players who can’t come together for the good of the group.

  For years people viewed me as an individual, and not a team player, because I scored so much. But I was a team player. I was just filling my role at that time. I had to score for us to have a chance to win. Brand Jordan is no different. Even though my name is on the product, it’s a collaborative effort.

  I HAVE THE SAME KIND OF COMMITMENT TO THE BRAND THAT I HAD TO BASKETBALL. I HAVE AN INTENSE FOCUS AND DESIRE TO MAKE THE BRAND SUCCESSFUL.

  BUT I’M NOT SO DOMINANT THAT I CAN’T LISTEN TO CREATIVE IDEAS COMING FROM OTHER PEOPLE. SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE LISTEN. GUYS WHO DON’T LISTEN, DON’T SURVIVE LONG.

  The Warren Buffetts and Bill Gates have had to open their minds at some point in time to other opinions, if for no other reason than to hear competing thoughts. You have a lot of people whose minds are closed. They won’t hear suggestions from others. I can’t get along with those people.

  CURTIS POLK There is no master plan. Michael doesn’t work like that. If someone would have told me five or six years ago that he would be involved in motorcycle racing, I would have laughed. I’m sure the same would be true about something that might happen five or six years from now. Michael is into challenges and finding things that present a genuine passion for him.

  He has a passion for cars, watches, the clothing he wears, the look of the apparel and the shoes the brand creates. It’s a question of Michael finding things he can embrace. Business opportunities come along that have big moneymaking potential, but if Michael doesn’t have a passion for the ideas, then they aren’t going anywhere. The motorcycle team has not been profitable, but that fact has nothing to do with his level of interest.

  IN ALL HONESTY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S AHEAD.

  If you ask me what I’m going to do in five years, I can’t tell you. This moment? Now that’s a different story. I know what I’m doing moment to moment, but I have no idea what’s ahead.

  I’m so connected to this moment that I don’t make assumptions about what might come next, because I don’t want to lose touch with the present. Once you make assumptions about something that might happen, or might not happen, then you open up the possibility of making mistakes. You start limiting the potential outcomes. I don’t make assumptions. I know what I know, and I dea
l with my life based on what’s happening right now.

  FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? I KNOW GEORGE I WILL BE SOMEWHERE HAVING A GOOD TIME.

  Afterword / by Mark Vancil

  For more than 21 years, I have watched Michael Jordan, often from a privileged vantage, grow up and into a global icon. To be sure, he is different from the rest of us, though not in the ways of conventional wisdom.

  More than ever the results, particularly those measurable, seem to have very little to do with God given physical talent, or even the possibility that the planets nave indeed lined up for him. Look around, and there are all kinds of players with incredible physical attributes, some of them barely 18 years old. And it’s just as likely the planets have lined up for others the way they have for Michael. We just don’t know who they are because on the nside they aren’t close to being like Mike.

  What seems more apparent now than it ever did while he was playing is that the most remarkable aspects to Michael Jordan are those that can neither be seen nor measured. As with passion, all we have is circumstantial evidence suggesting the presence of something powerful. Trying to apply any traditional analysis to define Michael’s enduring connection to people in virtually every corner of the globe likely only distances one from the answer. At the same time, Michael’s exterior, the part of him we all see, appears to be nothing less than the manifestation of a core that has always defied the larger culture around him.

  Michael approaches life, in all its forms, in a way completely at odds with a culture that otherwise seems to have been contorted by an insatiable appetite for immediate gratification. In short, it’s the process that drives the results and it’s the process that makes Michael Jordan like no one else. For all the wonder it has produced, the method sounds remarkably simple as described by Michael. Old school, as they say: “Step by step… No shortcuts… Hard work determines the dividends… Uncompromised… Authentic… Nothing of value comes without being earned… Small things add up to big things.”

  But layer over intense passion, integrity, commitment, focus and constant scrutiny to even the smallest details, all of which when combined essentially eliminate fear, and the mix becomes the multiplier that turns physical talent into Michael Jordan results. He is fearless because he is never anywhere but the present moment. He doesn’t look back and wonder what might have been because he doesn’t look ahead and worry about what might not be. He is right here, right now, all the time. People spend 20 years sitting in an ashram in Tibet trying to manifest that sense of themselves and their place in time. Michael Jordan does it naturally and with magnetic grace all his own. Of all his gifts, it’s possible none is more defining.

  But it doesn’t stop there. Look around Michael and another thing you notice is the quality of people who have been inside his circle for more than 20 years, people like Dean Smith, George Koehler, Fred Whitfield, Howard White, Tinker Hatfield, and Rod Higgins. They are polite. They are respectful. They are accomplished. And they mirror the fundamental values that flowed from James and Delores Jordan down through Michael and into everything he has created.

  My sense is that his enduring appeal can be traced to our search for authenticity, the tangible expression of all those intangibles that seem to accompany true greatness. Then again, maybe what we have always seen in Michael Jordan is nothing more or less than a higher vision of ourselves, something beyond what we might otherwise allow ourselves to imagine.

  Too idealistic? That’s fine. But the standard isn’t perfection. Everyone fails that test. As “H” White wisely noted, if all we understand about ourselves is where we stop, then we can’t begin to appreciate where Michael Jordan has gone.

  And the beauty of his example is that it’s accessible to all of us.

  Rarely has a journey been so completely inspiring as the one I have been on for much of the past year. I have met people who have enriched my life, while experiencing up close the commitment that explains, if not defines the success of Nike and Brand Jordan. Across the board, the same is true of VSA Partners, who marched through a relatively daunting process and weeks of late nights with the kind of class and compassion that defines the company.

  Estee Portnoy provided support, guidance and kindness from the first phone call while Curtis Polk made sure we never veered too far from center, and David Falk provided much needed insight. Their presence was as important as their expertise.

  And then there is Tinker. If he had contributed only his time, I would have been grateful given his accomplishments and insight. Instead, Tinker offered himself, something that comes naturally to him. Rarely do people articulate their passion with such grace and dignity. But that’s Tinker Hatfield. Long before the book process began, I was told of his iconic status in the sneaker world. Now that we have finished, I realize that limiting Tinker’s impact to any one space is far too restrictive for a talent whose work has influenced so many so far beyond athletic product design. The fact that he also happens to be a wonderful human being explains a lot about the bond he and Michael share.

  As with any project, particularly one tight deadlines, individuals came forward day to day, each contributing a piece to what became the whole of this book:

  At Nike Mark Parker not only fit us into his schedule, but contributed as only he can. Without Mark’s genuine appreciation for the creative process, none of the original art in this book ever would have been created. The unique pieces produced by Liberatore, Mister Cartoon, Mode 2, Pushead and Terrada started with Mark. He not only helped us understand what we were looking for, but he made it happen as well. I suspect Mark has done that a lot at Nike over the years.

  Mark Smith’s name came up countless times in conversations with Michael and when I came to understand the breadth of his genius, it all made sense. Great talent; better guy.

  The third Mark who made the trip all the more pleasurable was Mark Thomashow. He, too, lived up to and beyond the advance billing.

  At Brand Jordan Larry Miller’s innate goodness speaks to the values that have contributed to the company’s success. Warm, generous and without pretense, Larry never hesitated whenever we needed an assist. Keith Crawford’s creative talent is mirrored by his compassion and commitment. He found time in his schedule at a moment’s notice, and when crunch time came, Keith delivered. The same is true of Roman Vega, who makes it all look incredibly easy. He too turned with little advance warning to be sure we had everything we needed no matter the request. Andy Whiteside made things happen with the same kind of apparent ease that defines the experience with everyone else at Brand Jordan. Gentry Humphrey contributed his expertise, Pete Montagne looked high and low for images. Eileen Belle and Ilona Wiley helped us navigate.

  At VSA Partners If it’s true that we can tell where we at any given moment by the quality of the people around us, then I’m not sure I’ve ever been in better place. Curt Schreiber’s considerable talents combined with an uncommon graciousness and integrity make him the leader that he is and the friend we all should have. With Curt out front and Ashley Lippard driving it all from the inside out, they made the design process appear effortless despite nights that often didn’t end until well into the next day. Like everyone else associated with this project, Ashley brought her own unique passion and she never wavered. The fact she grew up covering the walls of her bedroom with Michael Jordan press clippings, and honed her emerging creative talents by designing her own versions of Air Jordan shoes, only added to the mix. The same could be said of Amy Laney, Richard Renno and Amy Glaiberman, who contributed their time and talents to the many details.

  Of Special Note This book would not have been possible witnout the wonder that is Les Baden. He never once failed to answer a call for help, provide direction or ferret out a solution. All this while running Les Badden Creative Office, providing a bright light to the Portland arts community and doting on his beautiful family. It became very clear very early why Les has personal relationships that stretch across virtually every creative medium around the globe. He is an
uncommon man of depth, compassion and skill.

  Once more, Ken Leiker answered the bell at a moment’s notice and provided his unique skills to the finished product. He remains a gift in person and talent to all of us who continue to have the pleasure of his company.

  And thanks to John Ziccardi this book found its way into tne Simon & Schuster family. Everyone should have a friend like John, and I’m glad to say I do.

  At Simon & Schuster/Atria Books Jack Romanos listened when no one else would, and understood the upside, as he has no coubt done countless times before, when others could not. At Atria Books, Judith Curr’s creativity is matched by her kindness; she proved to be the perfect publisher for whom to work. Peter Borland calmly juggled multiple books while making us feel as though ours was the only one on his list. And Justin Loeber proved a tireless professional.

  At Home The freedom to create often demands the freedom to deviate from normal schedules. Through it all, my wife, Laura, held our life together by caring as only she can for our beautiful children, Alexandra, Samantha, Isabella and their little brother, Jonah. I remain in awe of each one of them and humbled by the blessing of their presence in my life.

  Special thanks Walter Iooss, Jr., Steve Ryan, Todd Piper-Hauswirth, Robyn Paprocki, Drew Brooks, Bill Smith at Bill Smith Photography, Bob Rosenberg, John Vieceli, Frank Fochetta, Melinda Weinstein, Kim Kief-Carroll, Dan Long, Tina Warner, Fraser Cooke, Nikki Neuburger, Rob Mertz, Michelle Sorge-Johnson, Joe Amati, Tom Foxen, Michelle Barber, Jackie Thomas, Chris Calhoun and Tom Fox.