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In addition to Reggie Miller, Jamal Wilkes and Ralph Sampson, Co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc., Phil Knight, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts. As with previous Hall of Fame inductees, “Buck” prepared a speech for his inauguration that revealed interesting and intriguing facts about his profession. Besides touching on the beginnings of Nike, Nike’s current worldwide state and the most successful Nike campaigns ever, Phil Knight also compared his breadwinner, Michael Jordan, to a peculiar host of politicians that include a Cuban Revolutionary figure (huh?). Check out the six eye-opening statements from Phil Knight’s Hall of Fame induction speech below.
“The sporting industry will never be the same, and his (Michael Jordan) brand, today, sells more product than when he was at the peak of his game.”
This simply speaks to the firm grasp Michael Jordan still, and will continue to have, on this culture and generation. Kids that buy his shoes today can only rely on YouTube videos to see MJ’s dominance during his heyday. They never saw him play a full game, yet, his signature line appeals to so many people in any and every age group. A lot of credit goes to renowned designer Tinker Hatfield for creating timeless designs, but the unmatched enormity of Michael Jordan will keep his name alive for years and years to come.
