IN OCTOBER 1984 Nike struck a deal with a young up-and-coming college basketball player about to turn professional and play his first National Basketball Association game with the Chicago Bulls. The deal would make billions for the company, transform the nature of sporting endorsement, spark a cultural phenomenon and make Michael Jordan the highest-paid athlete in history. Oh, and provoke youths into violent assaults and even murder.
Founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports, it was not until 1971 that the company adopted the
