["Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] Five! Four! Three! Two! One!
- [horn toots] - [shouts indistinctly]
[crowd cheers]
[keyboard clacking]
[song continues playing]
[snoring]
[crowd cheering]
Where's the beef?
[crowd cheering]
[chuckling]
[inaudible]
[phone ringing]
[engine revs]
[man] Converse All Star basketball shoes.
[imperceptible]
[game beeping]
[indistinct shouting]
[ball thudding]
[chanting indistinctly]
[laughing]
Are you guys gonna go out for regionals?
Yeah, yeah.
You're getting pretty excited about that?
[both chuckle]
- [crowd cheers] - [whistle blows]
- Oh! - How are you doing, Brandon?
I'm Sonny Vaccaro. I'm with Nike.
It's good to see you. I'll come down and say hello.
- Hey, Terence. How are you? - Hey, man. Thanks for the shoes.
Yeah, yeah. They're looking really good.
I mean, everybody's gonna want you. You're not gonna have a problem.
You're gonna get a scholarship. That's gonna happen, right?
- I hope so. - Hey, just don't forget about Nike.
Well, I'll see you guys at regionals in two weeks, yeah? All right.
All right. Great game, guys.
["Blister in the Sun" by Violent Femmes playing]
[car horns honking]
All right, uh, game five tonight.
- Six bets, $100 each. - Okay.
Magic Johnson, under on points, over on assists.
James Worthy, over on points. Bob McAdoo, over on points.
Dennis Johnson, over on points.
What's the over-under on Rambis?
- Just... take the under. - Okay.
And actually, one more. One more. Uh...
Give me Lakers under, 3rd quarter.
There you go.
Thanks.
[announcer] The Boston Celtics take a 3-2 lead
in the World Championship series.
[woman] Thank you for gambling at The Dunes,
the hotel, casino and country club.
[song continues playing]
Hey, uh, press the four and the eight. Give me four the hard way.
Dice away.
- Dice are up. Four! - [crowd cheering]
- Come on. - [dealer] Hard way four.
Fourteen hundred, right there.
[Sonny] Yeah, 1,400? Yeah, no, leave it up.
Dice away. Good luck, Mr. V.
- [crowd groans] - Seven up, line away.
[sighs]
[song continues playing]
[car engine rumbling]
[machines beeping and whirring]
[phones ringing]
You want some water, Sonny?
- [Sonny] Why? - You breathing heavy.
- Oh! You still can't shoot worth a damn. - Another brick.
- What about my players? - I'm trying. I'm trying.
- When will they come in? - Just can't figure out why these kids
wanna take less money to sign for a rival shoe company.
Why would a kid from Baltimore wanna wear German soccer shoes?
Because Adidas is what's hot right now, man.
The rappers are wearing them in their videos.
The break-dancers are break-dancing up in the Bronx.
They're on the floor breaking their ankles and their elbows for no reason.
And these kids ain't cool unless they got Adidas on.
And them some badass jogger suits.
You gotta admit we can't touch their jogger suits.
I got my cousin in South Korea done sent me two knockoffs.
I wear them on the weekends. I don't wear them up here.
What is wrong with Nike?
Nike is a damn jogging company, man. Black people don't jog.
You ain't go catch no Black person running 26 miles for no damn reason.
Then the cops might pull you over thinking you done stole somethin'.
'Cause these kids are talking about Isiah and Magic.
They don't give a damn about Bruce Jenner
throwing a Frisbee around in a damn decathlon.
And people don't know what the hell a Nike is.
- What's a "Converse"? - NBA All-star shoe.
Play like Magic, dribble like Isiah. That's what it is.
Do you know Run-DMC doing a song about Adidas?
What? Who?
Run-DMC making a free song
coming out on their next album about Adidas.
Who's doing it?
See, that tells me something right there, Sonny.
Hey, when you signed Moses, how'd you do it?
Mary Malone, his mama.
I... She thought the world of me.
In fact, you know, I always go through the mamas, man.
The mamas run stuff, especially in Black families.
Heck, we need more players, Sonny.
You gotta get me somebody else.
Well, we got Moses.
I know we got Moses, man.
I was in the club with him three o'clock in the morning last night
trying to get him out there 'cause he got a five o'clock practice.
I told him, I said, "Moses, you can't hoot with the owls
all night and fly with the eagles in the morning."
Yeah. I could not do what you do.
I know you can't do what I do.
You can hardly do what the hell you supposed to do.
Hey, one more chance.
You want that Adidas suit from South Korea?
[chuckles] No.
Better not tell nobody neither.
Phil better not come up talking about no damn, "Where's your Adidas suits?"
I need my job, Sonny. Don't play.
Uh, shit, I'm late.
You hit one shot in 30 minutes. Let's get out of here.
I gotta stop by my office.
Damn back and my knees are messin' up now.
Hey, Sonny, look at these damn posters down here.
They upstairs in the running department got Picassos.
- No. - We got cartoons down here.
They don't give a damn about our division.
You know, I like the, uh, that new slogan.
The one for the whole company that they're talking about.
- I don't like it. - What?
- You know where it came from? - No.
That damn slogan came from a convict about to get executed
in front of a firing squad and they asked him, "What's your last words?"
- "Just do it"? - Yeah.
- That's where that comes from? - Yeah.
- Bullshit. - Dan Wieden told me, man.
He ain't got no reason to lie to me.
Ah, kind of a fitting metaphor
for the way basketball's viewed at this company.
I know. "Nike. Just get this shit over with."
- [chuckles] - Ow!
What'd it say about me that I liked it?
That says that you're a fat middle-aged white guy
that don't wanna exercise.
That's fair.
[Rob] So, Mr. Orwell was right. 1984 has been a tough year.
Our sales are down, our growth is down,
but this company is about who we really are when we're down for the count.
Am I right, huh?
When you're down on the canvas, bang, we pop right back up.
Like Balboa.
We got the Eye of the Tiger.
We're not gonna go down to Mr. T.
Pity the fool.
Here we go. Olajuwon.
Off the table.
Number-one pick is not gonna be wearing our shoe.
Sam Bowie?
Picked by our local pro franchise at number two.
He's going to Converse.
And at number three, Jordan going to Adidas.
Can't afford him.
Perkins, who knows?
Sweet gap, though, huh? Nice teeth.
What we're gonna do is we're gonna focus on three names
between pick five and pick 20.
All right, let's just... Let's toss out some ideas.
What are we thinking? What looks good?
Lots to choose from.
Don't rush into any thoughts.
Come on, fellas.
What about Lancaster Gordon? Anybody?
Louisville.
Louisville. He went to Louisville, Bill.
That is correct. I wrote it right there.
How about... What do we think about Charles Barkley,
the Round Mound of Rebound?
Could be a little bit of a reach for us at pick five.
Clubhouse issues.
Clubhouse issues? What does that mean?
Trash talk. Nobody wants to see Barkley on TV.
[Rob] Does anybody hear me if I'm down in the valley
singing the song of a man they call Terence "T-Bone" Stansbury?
I don't think they call him that.
Well, we could if he wears Nikes.
Think about it.
What about this fella, Vern Fleming?
Tough name, good J.
I like Melvin Turpin.
Melvin Turpin.
Thank you, Bill. On the board.
[Tim] What about John Stockton?
Uh, he's scrappy just like us.
Gonzaga? Sure.
What's that, a vocational school?
[Sonny] What do you like about Melvin Turpin?
[Rob] Hmm?
Mel Turpin. What do you like about his game?
Go, Bill.
He made the final four last year.
Well, so did 40 other guys.
He's the fifth, uh, sixth pick in the draft.
Have you watched him play?
- Yeah, several times. - What do you like about his game?
He's got great court sense. He's, uh...
- He's got good vision. - He had 33 assists last season.
[Bill] I like his play.
- I like that the guy's good. - [Sonny] Okay. No, no. It's all right.
He's got charisma. He's got flash.
He's gonna be a good player in Europe in four years
- when he's out of the league. - Okay.
[Sonny] You like Mel Turpin 'cause he's the sixth pick in the draft.
Nobody's gonna give you shit for saying you like the sixth pick in the draft.
Yeah, I'm just... I'm some fucking asshole, Sonny.
- You're not an asshole. - [Sonny] No, he's got great vision.
Sonny's trying for it, though. Here we go. Anybody else?
I gotta shit.
- [door shuts] - [Sonny] Hey, Rob.
[Rob] Hey, Sonny. What... Honestly, what the fuck is your problem?
- [sighs] Who are we gonna get? - [Rob] You tell me.
Phil brought you here
because you're the Mr. Miyagi of high school basketball.
You're not supposed to lecture people.
You're supposed to tell us who's gonna paint the fence.
I like Barkley, some.
- I mean, "clubhouse issues." - [Rob chuckles] Barkley?
That's the fucking dumbest thing I've ever heard in that room,
and that is saying something.
[Rob] I mentioned Barkley in there.
You didn't think it was relevant to chime in and support my idea...
Well, what happens in there is bullshit.
I'm telling you now. I'm not gonna say it in the meeting.
[Rob] Well, listen. People are afraid to speak in there.
[Sonny] Why?
[Rob] Because you spend a half hour berating them no matter what they say.
- [Sonny] No. No. - [Rob] Yes, you do.
[Sonny] I have no tolerance for people...
- [toilet flushes] - ...who have no insight,
fucking do no work, and then act like they got a seat at the table.
- [Rob] Okay. - Mel Turpin.
We'd be better off signing my mom.
[Rob] Not available.
Well, even if she were alive, we can't afford her.
We can afford my mom.
Clubhouse issues.
Listen, we got 250K for three names.
This is where you come up with a brilliant idea
that no one else can see. Let's hear it.
We need more money.
That's not brilliant, okay?
That's what happens when things are successful.
What's happening right now is failure,
and if it continues that way,
Nike's gonna be out of the basketball business
and we're gonna be out of a job.
- We need good players. - Great. Good players.
Barkley, Stockton, Thorpe.
I really like Stockton.
Do you even know where Gonzaga is?
I didn't say it's ideal, okay? It's a name,
which is better than what you've given me.
- Rob. Rob. - Yeah? What?
What about Jordan?
[scoffs] Sonny, we can't get fucking Michael Jordan, okay?
I listened to Falk for three hours.
He's too expensive.
- Mr. Strasser. - Huh? Hello, hi.
- Richard. - Yeah. Hi. Hi, Richard.
I'd love to get some time on your calendar.
Okay. That sounds fun.
- Can you let Doreen know? - Roger that. Will do.
- Roger, thank you. - Richard.
Yeah, yeah. Just rogering you back there.
- Yeah. - That's what that was, okay?
- Thanks, Richard. Bye. - [Richard] Thank you.
[sighing] Oh, God. You know, there... Thank you.
There, uh, there used to be a time
where I could name everybody who worked here.
Ah, things change. Places grow.
That's true.
Hey, you want some dessert? It's sundae bar day.
Hi.
- Nah. I have a meeting. - With who?
The Shoe Dog.
["Atomic Dog" playing]
- Hey, Sonny. - Hey, Katrina.
- [intercom beeps] - Sonny's coming in.
[Phil] Sonny.
I'm missing the sundae bar, Phil.
Why do you think this guy is skateboarding to work?
We're a public company. Does he not have a car?
[Sonny] Probably just some kid.
He looks like he's 50 years old.
He's bald and he has a beard.
[Sonny] Is that Pete?
[Phil] Why would Pete skateboard to work?
Maybe he's having a midlife crisis.
Well, I hope he doesn't scratch my car.
It takes 17 layers of paint to achieve that precise color of purple.
They called it "grape," which sounds kind of pedestrian, but it's pretty.
Anyway, how was the strategy meeting?
Disaster.
Uh, wonderful. What's the plan?
Piss away our tiny allocation on three mediocre players again.
Sonny, we had an annual loss.
I had to lay off a quarter of the fucking company, okay?
- [sighing] I know, Phil. - Do you?
Do you know the whole basketball division is on the chopping block?
That the board wants me to fire everybody?
And I can't guarantee you, without some improvement,
that's not gonna happen at the next board meeting.
We need to increase spending.
[scoffs]
I brought you in here to grow the basketball business.
It's... It's smaller now.
Is Strasser's number right?
- 250K? - Yeah.
- What about 500? - No.
You're lucky to have 250K. I had to fight for that.
Your balance sheet's a debacle.
Half the running shoes in the country that were sold last year were Nike's.
It's 900 million in revenue. You wanna spend 250K on basketball?
You know what they're telling the board?
There are potentially a million customers for basketball shoes
in the United States,
who would wear the shoes only when they're playing basketball.
They're wondering if any investment is worth the potential upside.
Well, if a board member said it.
The board... [sighs]
Basketball's the future.
The NBA Finals are on tape delay.
It's literally the past.
People watch basketball.
You know, we took four golds at the Olympics.
And nobody gives a fuck.
We dominate the running shoe market, Sonny.
Two hundred million running shoes 'cause that's what people do. They run.
And when they walk, they wear running shoes.
And when they go to the store, they wear running shoes.
And when they go to work, they wear running shoes.
That's what they do.
People are starting to ask me what you do here.
You know what I do here.
I-I know you, I know you go to a lot of high school basketball tournaments.
And, uh, usually with a layover in Vegas.
And I-I'm told that you're a basketball guru
or wizard or, uh...
It... It's hard to quantify that to a board.
You know what I do here.
You're losing, Sonny.
Yeah, just because you lose, it doesn't mean it wasn't a good bet.
This perfect results bullshit...
- It's not bullshit. - It is bullshit.
It's not bullshit. Those are the central principles
that built this into a billion-dollar business.
I can't win if you don't give me a bankroll.
You have to be accountable.
You're accountable. We're all accountable.
I'm accountable to the board.
I told you not to go public. I told you this would happen.
- You'd get tight, you'd change. - I see.
- This happens at every company. - Uh, does it?
- All the companies you've taken public? - Yeah, every company,
all they care about is the P and I statement
and-and keeping the board happy.
Do you run?
[sighs]
Is this gonna lead to some Buddhist aphorism I don't want to hear?
Do you run?
[sighs]
No, Phil. I don't.
It's hard.
It's suffering. It's difficult.
The illusion is that the finish line is the destination,
but the act itself is the destination.
I need $500,000.
[knocking at door, door opens]
Mr. Knight, your 1:00 p.m.
Yeah.
[chuckles] Okay, Phil.
"When you find a wise critic who will point out your faults,
follow him as you would a map to a hidden treasure."
[Sonny] And there it is.
- [mellow music playing] - [thunder rumbles]
[car engine rumbling]
[indistinct TV chatter]
[commentator on TV] There's James Worthy.
There's that crossover...
And out of bounds and it'll come back to Portland.
Pat Riley...
Looking to take his team all the way...
Ah, Street and Smith. Basketball fan.
- You wanna buy it? - Oh, no, no. I've read that one already.
[clerk] Oh, okay.
- I'll buy this one, though. - Okay.
Hey, what do you think of the, uh, the Blazers' draft pick?
- Bowie? - Yeah.
I mean, he's not Hakeem, but I like him.
You're not mad about Jordan?
A guard? [scoffs] Hell no.
I mean, he's averaging, what, 17 points,
- which is like ten in the NBA. - Yeah.
Even the Bulls GM said that
- he wasn't gonna change the team. - Yeah, he wasn't... Yeah, I saw.
He wasn't gonna dominate. I read that.
[Clerk] I mean, if he hadn't hit that one shot
to win the title game in the college championship,
he probably would've never went that high in the draft.
He's too small to be as good in the NBA as he was in college.
You seem like a true fan.
[sighs] I don't know, man.
I just love playing ball.
Here you go.
- Have a great night. - You, too.
Hey. You know where, uh, Gonzaga is?
Spokane, Washington.
Stockton's too short, too.
[chuckles]
- Have a good night. - You, too, man.
[host on TV] Michael Cooper
the Los Angeles Lakers forward, is our guest.
We're gonna come back in just a few moments to talk about his artistry,
how he flies through the air with the greatest of ease.
[upbeat music playing on TV]
This is the racket I won Wimbledon with,
and you could have bought it.
Really.
You see, the Ashe Comp 2 Racquet I use comes right off the production line.
And I don't customize my racket because the Ashe Comp 2 is
just the way I want it, just the way it is.
And it should be.
Head and I have worked together since 1969,
putting in all the special features we thought important.
So, this particular Head racket
could have gone to you as easily as to me.
We planned it that way.
[upbeat music playing on TV]
On June 22, forward Michael Cooper,
among other Lakers, has his own summer camp for young kids,
and, uh, if you're interested...
[tape rewinds]
[phones ringing]
- Yeah? Huh? - I got it.
No, no. I'm talking...
- [phones ringing] - [indistinct chatter]
[Rob] Um, and, you know, you-you tend to get growth
- when you shrink the, uh... - [Sonny] I need you.
Sonny, I-I'm gonna be done in five minutes.
- I need you done now. - Um, w...
You guys are busy.
- Richard, uh... - It's fine.
[Rob] Richard, I'm sorry. We're gonna follow up, okay?
[Richard] Thank you.
You know, uh, Sonny, in business,
there's a way in which we conduct ourselves.
- Like we... - I found him.
- Who's that? Jesus? - Sit down.
Okay.
[chuckles] Lynwood Robinson.
That name mean anything to you?
- No. - Great recruit.
Everybody was after this kid. North Carolina got him.
He actually announced his decision to go there
the same day that Michael Jordan did.
It was actually bigger news in the Charlotte Observer,
got a bigger headline.
Within two years,
Lynwood Robinson transfers to Appalachian State.
Nobody heard about him again. Now, watch.
[Rob] This is the 1982 championship.
The shot that Jordan makes. I've seen this. Everyone's seen this.
No, we've been looking at it wrong. Watch.
Here's James Worthy, okay?
Number one in his draft class, another guy we had no chance of signing.
Correct.
Why isn't he getting the ball?
They're down by one.
There's under half a minute to go.
Why isn't the superstar getting the ball?
Why is the ball going to the 18-year-old skinny freshman
from Wilmington, North Carolina?
Eh, they probably drew up the play for Worthy,
and Jordan was an option in case Worthy was covered.
No, that's wrong. Worthy is a decoy.
We've been looking at this wrong. Look.
He knows he's not getting the ball.
They're in a 1 -3-1 zone.
What's gonna happen the second Worthy comes across the lane?
That zone's gonna collapse on him,
leaving Michael Jordan open in the corner,
and the balls gonna go to him, and he's gonna shoot it.
Look, when he shoots it, he shoots it right away.
He knows he's getting the ball.
The play is drawn up for Jordan.
And now that you know that...
watch Jordan.
You feel like your plane is on its final descent,
or are you just circling?
Look at him.
Look at how relaxed he is.
Look, he wants the ball. He's calling for the ball.
The whole world is watching him.
He's 18-years-old.
He's three seconds away from the biggest shot of his life.
And the biggest shot of Dean Smith's life.
Remember the knock on Dean Smith? He couldn't win the big one.
He'd been there three times, couldn't get it done.
This is his fourth and maybe his last time.
Dean Smith didn't even start freshmen.
Michael's only the third freshman to start for the guy.
And what does he do?
He puts the ball in the hands of an 18-year-old freshman.
Why?
Because Dean sees the same thing that I see.
The same thing that Lynwood Robinson saw.
Greatness.
[captivating music playing]
I don't wanna sign three players.
I wanna sign one.
I wanna sign him.
We build a shoe line around just him.
We tap into something deeper, into the players identity.
Into that.
What's that mean?
That he doesn't wear the shoe. He is the shoe.
The shoe is him.
You want to anthropomorphize the shoe?
Put little legs and arms on it?
[sighs]
Have you seen the Arthur Ashe commercial?
[stammers] "This is the racket that I won Wimbledon with
and you could have bought it."
We do that, but with a shoe.
I'm gonna blow a quick 20 right here, okay?
It's gonna cost too much money.
No, not if we bet it all on one guy.
- Too risky. You want the whole budget? - The whole budget.
Can't do that. We're gonna spread it across three or four players.
- I've said that. - We have 250K. We can get him for 250K.
Guess who else has 250K? Adidas has 250K, too.
So even if we were to offer him $250,000,
Adidas would be able to match it.
Meanwhile, all of our other prospects have signed with other teams.
Plus, Jordan has made it abundantly clear,
painfully clear, that he doesn't wanna come here.
So you would have to have a pretty compelling pitch.
Do you have that?
Yeah, I can tell him the one thing the other companies can't compete with.
Our basketball division is fucking terrible.
I do not love it.
You think Phil gonna go for that?
But you like the idea, right?
- The idea? Of Michael Jordan? - Yeah.
- What you gonna offer? - The whole budget.
As in nobody else is getting no money?
Phil is gonna fire you.
Well, I can handle Phil.
The key to Phil is make him afraid.
You gonna get us both damn fired.
Phil got $100 million
and a life supply of them damn pink, nut-hugging jogging shorts.
What the hell is he afraid of?
Let's say you get Phil.
How the hell you gonna get Michael?
Michael is an Adidas guy. He loves Adidas.
That's all he wears.
Them badass warmup suits, shell toe.
Michael don't wanna come to Nike
badder than that damn guy sitting in the briar patch.
Well, I'll deal with that after I deal with Phil.
Phil ain't gonna do it.
- But you like the idea, right? - I'd like to sign Jordan.
What I don't know is what his agent gonna ask for.
["The Message" playing]
[phone line ringing]
- [Sonny over phone] David. - Sonny, Sonny, Sonny.
Good morning, Falk.
It's the afternoon for those of us in the real world.
What's new in the wilds of Oregon?
I hear Nike's getting out of the basketball business.
Who told you that?
[David] You know, I have clients in other sports.
I just signed Boomer Esiason, great-looking kid,
and Boomer... it's interesting, because what Boomer does...
David, David, David.
I don't give a fuck.
I'm calling about... Michael Jordan.
I told Strasser months ago, it's never gonna happen.
- Well, you've never talked to me. - I'm doing you a favor.
Michael's not even taking a meeting with you.
- What do you mean? - A meeting?
Group of two, maybe four, five executives in a room.
They hear a pitch from a company. It's common business practice.
Michael's not gonna be doing that at Nike.
Don't fuck with me, Falk. Come on.
Okay, wh-what are the bids looking like?
It's not about the money.
When someone says it's not about money,
I know for sure it's about the money.
We decided to stretch the envelope.
We wanna hear what each company can do to promote Michael.
Okay. Well, then we're thinking along the same lines.
That's why I wanna have a meeting.
Sonny, world-class players don't wear third-rate shoes.
Just get me in the room.
Sonny, as a friend,
it's a waste of time.
Off the record, even though UNC was a Converse school,
Michael wore Adidas during practice.
He put on Converse right before the game started.
The second the final buzzer sounded...
[snaps finger] ...Adidas back on.
- Bullshit. - Ask Dean.
You said it was off the record.
I didn't say you had to tell him where you heard it.
Trust me, Converse knows it, too.
I've already seen Adidas' mock-up presentation.
Three words, state of the art.
That's four.
You're a stalking horse, at best.
And a slow, fat stalking horse, so you're not even credible.
You know he'll be miserable at Adidas.
I mean, it's a shit show over there since Adolf died.
- Adi, Sonny. He went by Adi. - His name was Adolf.
I mean, the guy's name was literally Adolf.
- He was a good man. - He kept the name.
It's Adi. Adi Dassler. Adi-Das. Adidas.
- That's what it stands for. - He was in the Hitler Youth.
No, he wasn't. Don't say that.
I saw a picture of him, personally, wearing a swastika.
The guy had the haircut.
- We all have a past. - Look, David,
some of us have our past and some of us were Nazis.
There's a line.
Well, he's dead. We're meeting with the whole family.
When is the meeting?
Uh, Jordan's going to Boston on Thursday, that's Converse.
And then Nuremberg for Adidas on Saturday,
- and then we're gonna close. - Nuremberg?
Would you cut the shit? It's close to...
It's near there.
They wanna close is the point.
What are they offering?
I don't see a world where it's south of 250.
No fucking way.
- [Sonny] Let me explain. - Nope.
Listen, Michael Jordan is the player we've been waiting for.
Yeah. But you said the same thing about Artis Gilmore last year and Bobby Jones.
All right, well, if perfection is the goal, then I'm doomed, right?
I-I mean, I'm not gonna hit every shot.
How about one shot? A shot, ever.
It's part of gambling, Phil.
- You don't win every hand. - This isn't a craps table.
And we don't have unlimited checks to write...
I'm not asking for unlimited.
I'm asking for what you already budgeted.
- On one player. - Yes.
Don't confuse desperation with vision, Sonny.
[sighs] We're actually gonna need more than that.
For a rookie who's never set foot on an NBA court?
That's the literal definition of rookie, yeah.
Magic Johnson doesn't have his own shoe.
Exactly.
I can't justify that to the board,
so there's no point in having this discussion.
All right, let me put it to you this way.
I'm willing to bet my career on Michael Jordan.
Oh, come on, man.
You asked what I do here. This is what I do.
I find you players.
And I fucking feel it this time.
Yeah, okay, it's risky.
When you were selling sneakers
out of the back of your Plymouth, that was risky.
It took balls. I mean, that's why we're all here.
Don't change that now.
Phil, I mean, if you look at him,
if you really look at Jordan like I did,
you're gonna see exactly what I see.
Which is what?
The most competitive guy I have ever seen.
He is a fucking killer.
Who's the competition?
- Well, uh... - Don't tell me. [grunts]
["My Adidas" playing]
I know the last thing any of us wanna talk about today is business.
I... I can't imagine the grief.
Ah, as Adi would say,
"We must go on."
He did say that.
We have a great opportunity for Adidas America.
- Very good. - Good.
["Rock the Casbah" by The Clash playing]
[Joe Dean] We already got the number one pick.
Who's next on the hit list?
Scoreboard.
What the fuck, guys? We're doing this?
I don't know. I mean, can-can we even get a meeting?
Rob?
Phil, you're signing off on this?
No, it's a stupid fucking idea. I said, "Can we get a meeting?"
I'll call Falk.
[David] Submit an offer, then we can talk meeting.
[Sonny over phone] I can't do that.
Then I have no responsibility to inform my client.
[sighs] Two hundred fifty thousand is what you can expect.
I need it in writing.
When the offer comes, it'll be in writing.
I look forward to see that.
I can't wait to waste six hours flying out there.
Why can't you get a base on the East Coast like a normal company?
They love it out here.
I'm glad they're happy.
Hey, how are the parents?
Smart as hell. Don't pull any bullshit on them.
They don't want to be sold to.
Yeah? Are they home now in Carolina?
Don't call them, okay?
I'm not fucking kidding.
That'd be inappropriate and unprofessional.
[chuckles] So is outright refusing a meeting.
That's just business.
Why does Michael want Adidas?
Because he likes their tracksuits.
[stammers] We'll get him every tracksuit he's ever wanted.
He's a kid. He's not thinking about what he will have.
He's thinking about what he doesn't have right now.
You know what else he wants?
- [sighs] What? - A car.
Red Mercedes 380 SL.
But, fortunately, he's got an extremely savvy adviser
who thinks long term.
You know, it's really your humility, David, that's so impressive.
You know what I think?
You don't have authorization to make a written offer.
Unless I see an offer in writing,
I have no obligation to inform my client.
- David, don't fucking hang... - [phone line disconnects]
[sighs]
["Legs" by ZZ Top playing]
Stan, hey. Get me a ticket to L.A.
Plane ticket. Leave it at the gate.
Oh, hey, AI. I not gonna make the meeting tomorrow morning.
I got to go to L.A. to see George Raveling.
Who?
How'd you get a job in the basketball division?
George Raveling.
Coach at the Olympics, Iowa.
Best man at my wedding. Jesus, AI.
[song continues playing]
[George] It's... It's... It's ridiculous.
I tried. I tried to put the word in for you guys...
- ...during the Olympics. Just... - I know. I appreciate it, man.
Michael's not coming to Nike.
He doesn't even want to meet. You know?
Uh, and believe me,
I-I told him multiple times.
And-and we got along.
He just doesn't like the shoe.
He's never worn the shoes.
He did say if somebody was to buy him a red Mercedes 380SL,
he would sign a shoe contract for life with anybody.
Except Nike.
- [chuckles] - [laughing]
There's nothing cool about Nike.
Even what it means.
Adidas, "All Day I Dream About Sex."
Puma, "Please Use My Ass."
- That's not what it means. - "Nike" has no-no meaning.
How are the parents?
Solid. She runs shit.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
Well, so maybe I should talk to her.
Hey, you bypass the agents and talk directly to the family,
you're gonna lose your job.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
I been doing this 20 years. I've never had a feeling like this.
You know when you get a feeling.
- You know? - Yeah.
You know what?
Don't lose that.
Even if I get fired?
Summer, 1963.
A friend of my father's asked me and his son
to come down to a march in town.
Now, mind you, I have a full scholarship
- at Villanova. - Mm-hmm.
Right?
But I got this feeling.
Don't know why.
So I go.
I get down there.
One of the organizers see two 6'4" Black kids
and they're like, "Oh, you guys want to help with security?"
[both laugh]
So, now we're the Fruits of Islam.
They take us down there.
They throw us up onstage, right on the podium.
There's cameras.
One of the boosters has to be a Klan member.
[stammers] You know?
But this voice kept telling me I should stay.
And I'm there five hours,
and I'm just sweating like... [groans]
Then I saw the last speaker's speech.
We walked off stage.
I said to him. I said,
"Hey, that was the best speech I ever heard."
He said, "Thank you, young man."
He takes the speech, he folds it up, and he puts it in my pocket.
Later, I'm looking for my favorite line. It's not in there.
Then I notice the whole second half of the speech is completely different.
What was the line you were looking for?
"I have a dream."
Come on. Get the fuck out of here.
- The "I Have a Dr..." You have that? - Yeah.
See, the first half,
he noticed the audience wasn't with him.
And he changed the whole thing,
- made the whole speech up... - [snaps fingers]
- ...right there on the spot. - Wow.
So, are you saying I should contact the Jordans and-and...
- Fuck no. - [both chuckle]
[laughing] You just fucking said that that's what I should do.
No, but that's your voice.
Your voice tells you to do stupid shit.
My voice made me a part of history.
[laughs]
You have the speech. That's incredible.
- I also have Abe Lincoln's. - [both laughing]
Were you doing security for that one, too?
Oh, I'm fucking that old now?
["Sister Christian" by Night Ranger playing]
- Sonny. - [Sonny] Hey.
[sighs] Looking all over for you.
I was just here, man,
having a cup of coffee before I got to the house.
I'm thinking of reaching out to the parents.
- Reaching out to Jordan's parents? - Yeah.
Sonny, that ain't something you take lightly, man.
You go around Falk, you better close.
Listen.
You made me believe, man.
Y-You started the Dapper Dan tournament.
You got them all there,
the greatest high school players in the country.
You might've forgot about this, but I was invited.
Best day of my life.
Then I blew out my damn knee.
[Howard exclaims]
It don't matter about what Phil is thinking
or anybody's thinking.
All that matters is how much do you believe?
I believe in you.
You know, I was actually expecting you to try to talk me out of it.
You wasn't gonna listen anyway.
But if you get fired, I got a one-bedroom apartment.
I ain't got no more room for nobody. I'm sorry.
I got two rags, one towel. It's all I got.
[intriguing electronic music playing]
Uh, where... where is he?
He didn't come in.
Is he sick?
I'm not actually his secretary.
He doesn't have a secretary.
Where is he?
[phone ringing]
- Hello. - [Sonny] Strass.
Hey, where the hell are you?
North Carolina.
["In a Big Country" by Big Country playing]
[phone thumps]
God damn it, Sonny. What happened to a phone call?
I'm calling you now. I'm in the car.
The rental car has a phone in it.
Yeah. Not me. The parents.
It would have been unprofessional for me to just call them up.
Right, so you just thought you'd show up at their front door.
Look, if anybody back there asks where I am, just tell them I'm sick.
You got it. Sick in the head.
- [phone beeps] - [phone line disconnects]
[phone clanking]
[song continues playing]
[tool cranking]
[Sonny] Excuse me.
- Excuse me, sir? - Can I help you?
Hey, I'm looking for the Jordans.
Well, you're in the right place.
Are you Mr. Jordan?
James.
Uh, Sonny Vaccaro. I'm with Nike.
[chuckles] Oh, man. Here we go.
- Oh... - [Deloris] James.
Who is it?
Hello, Mrs.-Mrs. Jordan.
Uh, my name's Sonny Vaccaro. I-I'm with Nike.
I believe Mr. Falk made it clear that we weren't interested.
Yes, I-I was told not to call.
Do you typically make it a habit of showing up
at people's front doors unannounced?
Maybe the worst of all my faults,
- and, believe me, there are many... - [James chuckles]
I don't like to take no for an answer.
And I actually think your son should be endorsed
by someone with that exact mindset.
[sighs]
All right. Come on back. Take a seat.
Thank you.
Deloris, I'm out here if you need me.
- Okay, baby. - [James] All right.
[bell tolling in distance]
[birds and insects chirping]
Five generations of Jordans have lived and died in this forest by the highway.
Been here since the Civil War.
Some of these trees are over 800 years old.
You know, it's quite presumptuous of you to show up at my door.
But I believe the saying that if you say what you want,
that's fine and good, but doing something about it, now...
that's what really counts.
- Is he here? - He is.
But you don't need to see him. It's not time for that.
Where'd you get that name?
- Sonny. - Sonny.
- [Deloris chuckles] - Uh, well... [clears throat]
...my mother had trouble bearing children.
So when it finally happened, she said that when she was
staring up at the bright, hot light in the hospital,
all she could think about was the sun.
- She still with us? - She's not.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Thank you. Yeah. It was a long time ago.
But... but she did her best to raise us.
I think it's admirable, giving your life for your family.
You give and give until there's nothing left to give.
Then you give some more, but... [chuckles]
...it's worth it.
- You're good at this. - Yeah.
We're sitting here talking about my parents instead of about you.
Well, I've had a lot of practice. There's no doubt about that.
Yeah.
Mr. Vaccaro, now, you do understand
that Michael's intention is to sign with Adidas
with Converse as a second option?
I do.
And with respect, I think that's a mistake.
Um, I... I'll make a bet with you.
I'll-I'll tell you exactly how those meetings are gonna go,
and if I'm wrong, then... then don't take a meeting with Nike.
But if I'm right,
please consider that-that you and Michael come out.
- This is Converse, by the way. - Mm-hmm.
John O'Neil will have his hair gelled up like an asshole.
Excuse me.
Bunch of them will be wearing red ties for the Bulls.
John will have a Rolex for sure.
Um...
[imitating John] "Um, now, I've seen a lot of basketball,
but the feeling that I get when I see Michael,
there's only a few other players who gave me that feeling."
[in normal voice] Now, when he's done,
I'd love it if you would ask him a question.
"How's Michael gonna stand out from these other players?
How's he gonna be different?"
What about Michael's meeting with Adidas?
Michael's top choice is Adidas.
[in German accent] "Hello, Mrs. Jordan, welcome to..."
Oh, no. You can just tell me.
[in normal voice] Okay, yes. Sorry.
Here's what they'll say.
"We have the best shoes, plain and simple.
All leather. All the kids want to wear them.
Converse isn't this cool."
And...
I mean, this is me talking now and not Adidas.
They're not wrong. I get why Michael wants to go there.
- Here's what you should ask them. - Mm-hmm.
"Who's running your company?"
I think four different people in that room
are gonna give you four different answers.
And that's the problem at Adidas right now.
And it's gonna be a real headache for you for the next few years.
What should I ask you?
Ask me why I'm in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Why are you in Wilmington, North Carolina?
Because I believe in your son.
I believe he's different.
And I believe you might be the only person on Earth who knows it.
That's why I'm in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Well, Mr. Vaccaro, thank you for coming.
- Thank you. - All right.
- [tense music playing] - [car engine revving]
[David] You got a lot of balls, you piece of shit!
You fat fuck!
You show up at the house?
Hey, let me ask you something.
Is everybody from Pennsylvania this stupid?
I mean, are you trying to ruin your fucking career?
It's David Falk.
You show up at the house!
Well, you said it would be unprofessional to call.
That's real fucking funny.
You know, m-my job is to protect Michael and his family from people like you.
When you go around me, you make me look ineffectual.
And if you end up signing him, it makes me look irrelevant.
Now, that's the worst thing you can do to an agent.
Look, if your irrelevance is becoming self-evident to your client,
I don't see how that's my fault.
I mean, I think that's maybe something you should take up with your therapist.
You don't want to talk to my therapist.
You don't want to have a life
half as fucking miserable as my therapist.
But you're giving me no choice.
Because now, after what you did,
unless you make some fucking miracle dream deal with the Jordans,
unless you stop making that fucking Air Sole
and start making the entire company Air fucking Michael Jordan,
I'll bury you alive and light you on fire
and dance and piss on your grave
and fuck the eyehole of your skull.
You're right, I don't want to be your therapist.
You want to fuck with me?
You fucking herpes simplex 2 motherfucker!
You know, the fact that you know there's a second simplex of herpes
makes me think that you might have it, David.
Of course I do! Everyone has herpes!
You know why you don't, Sonny?
Because no one will fuck you. No one.
I never looked at it that way.
You know what? I'm a fucking monster, okay?
My lawyers are on six-figure retainers.
I will break you in half.
I will take your balls and nibble on them.
I will chew your fucking nutsack. Do you hear me?
I will fucking take your nuts and fucking eat them.
I will eat your fucking nuts.
- [laughs] - You know what...
I'm sick of your shit.
Wh-What? You think it's funny? You think it's funny? Think it's funny?
David, come on, okay?
We're on a telephone 3,000 miles apart.
We're two out-of-shape middle-aged guys.
This is a little ridiculous.
I'm not out of shape. I'm in great shape.
- [Sonny sighs] - I'm in great shape.
When's the last time you saw me? I'm in fucking great shape.
I believe you, David.
Unless you make an offer to Michael and close it,
I will personally ensure that no client of this agency
ever signs a contract with Nike,
and Nike will be out of the basketball business permanently.
And so will you.
What if we do make the deal?
You and I will be best friends.
It's Monday.
I, I'm lost.
They're coming to Beaverton, Columbo. Don't make me say it twice.
They're c... They're coming out?
They're coming... I'm saying it twice now, you fucking idiot.
Okay, all right.
[sighs] Don't get ahead of yourself.
Michael's not gonna be excited to be there, okay?
His mother is making him go.
I understand.
- Hey, David? - Yeah?
- I'll see you Monday. - Hey, fuck you!
Fuck!
[Katrina] Sonny?
Phil wants to see you in his office.
[stammers] Oh, I'll...
Give me like 10, 15 minutes.
No, he said now.
Sonny, did you go to Michael Jordan's house
and sit down with his mother and schedule a meeting
with his family and this company for Monday?
We need a firm offer.
You don't have authorization to make any offer.
I understand from his representation
that he'll be expecting the entire amount:
250 a year, five years guaranteed.
We can't afford that offer.
Do you understand how irresponsible that is?
That's not. Converse is gonna come in at a hundred.
You know the Germans will easily match 250.
Sonny, I'm the boss. I'm the CEO of this company, okay?
I'm the CEO guy. You do what I tell you to do.
- You work for me. - If you want to mean something
in the basketball world, you got to spend.
Nothing in life is free, Phil.
Tell that to the college kids you keep giving our shoes away to for free.
That's working.
- That's a good idea. - Is it?
How do you know it's working?
It's theoretical value. It can't be measured.
It's a typical Sonny value.
And what was my first idea?
A high school all-star game.
Now every single company has
their own branded high school all-star game.
I'm giving away these ideas, Phil. Free.
That's the problem is you see them as your ideas.
It's about you and yourself and your ego.
There is no self. There's just the non-self.
- The non-self? - That's right.
Does the Dalai Lama have a grape-colored Porsche, Phil?
You fucking asshole, Sonny.
Are you trying to be an asshole?
Look, all I can do is give you my recommendation.
This is the strongest one I've ever had.
I'll tell you what.
If you want to go start your own company...
My own company. That's what I want.
- I wish you luck. - Start my own company.
- Yeah. - You can be impetuous.
You can make mistakes. You can be reckless.
But let me tell you how we do things at this company.
We make careful, strategic, measured, thoughtful decisions
with knowable outcomes.
[mumbling] Right, knowable and thoughtful and careful.
How'd you ever build this place, Phil?
Fuck you, Sonny.
[sighs] Okay.
You know, you did it, you got the meeting.
You don't need a firm offer to prep a meeting.
So, unless I give you the go-ahead Sunday night,
you don't have a budget, a Michael Jordan line,
- or a firm offer to make on Monday. - [sighs]
So I'll think about it, and if I change my mind,
I'll just cancel it.
I don't know how much more emphatically I can say this.
If we don't make this deal,
I don't know what my place is at this company.
I agree.
["Ain't Nobody" by Rufus and Chaka Khan playing]
[game beeping]
[indistinct chattering]
[phone ringing]
Would you like to risk any more on this hand, sir?
Maybe the deed to your house?
[Sonny] You're gonna need to pack some pajamas for tomorrow.
Um, we're not leaving the office.
Michael Jordan is coming to Beaverton.
[smacks lips] Holy shit.
Time to see Pete.
["Let It Whip" by the Dazz Band playing]
[elevator dings]
To what do I owe the honor?
I need a shoe, Pete.
I would assume as much.
I need the greatest basketball shoe that's ever been made.
- How long do we have? - Monday.
Step into my office.
Hey, was that you, uh, on a skateboard in the parking lot?
- Yes. - What's that all about?
I'm having a midlife crisis.
["Let It Whip" by the Dazz Band continues playing]
[Sonny] It has to be individual.
But, think of it like this.
Uh, Converse are plain, ordinary shoes, right?
Every player wears the same one.
What we do with this one is,
rather than have the athlete wear one of our shoes,
we create the shoe around the athlete.
So, the shoe is a physical manifestation of the individual
rather than the individual as emblem of the corporate entity?
Something like that.
The requirements are:
speak as an individual,
market to a mass audience
and be the most beautiful shoe known to mankind.
Yes.
Form or function?
Uh...
Something can be beautiful, or it can be practical.
Rarely both.
Come up with something new.
Humans have been wearing shoes for thousands of years,
and the design has substantively changed once,
when they differentiated between the right and the left shoe.
That was 600 years ago.
Let's go form.
Beauty.
Not function?
You know what they say.
"Poetry only makes the world bearable.
It's engineering that got us to the Moon."
- [pager beeps] - Shit. I gotta go.
Hey, just get started today.
Tomorrow's Saturday...
If you don't come in Saturday, don't bother coming in Sunday.
We're of like minds.
Who's the player for the shoe?
Michael Jordan.
["All I Need is a Miracle" by Mike The Mechanics playing]
Mrs. Jordan. It's a pleasure to meet you.
- It's a pleasure meeting you. - Mr. Jordan.
We sure do appreciate you making the long trip out here.
Right this way.
- Thank you. - [David] Here we are.
- [John] How was everything? - [Deloris] It was wonderful.
Yes?
[announcer] Converse All Star.
They started out on the basketball court, but now...
They're everywhere.
[upbeat synth-pop music playing on video]
They're everywhere.
[announcer] Converse All Star.
Official athletic shoe of the 1984 Olympic Games.
The feeling I get when I see Michael play,
there are only a few other players who gave me that feeling.
And those players are here, at Converse.
It is that simple.
Michael, we're gonna treat you like our superstar
before you even set foot on an NBA court.
[David] We're looking for a shoe
that holds appeal beyond the basketball court.
Well, what could hold more appeal than the shoe worn by
the best players in the game?
Tradition and history are paramount at Converse.
You have an impressive roster.
Best three players in the league
in Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving.
But another way of looking at this is
that the best Michael will ever be with you is number four.
Frankly, ma'am, we're...
we're talking about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird here.
He's gonna play like them.
He's gonna be mentioned in the same sentence with them.
- What can be better than that? - [chuckles]
[tense music playing]
[Sonny] No, they're too bland. They're ju... just too white.
Not enough color in there.
I mean, the Bulls are red and black. Can you get more red in?
They literally are not permitted to be
a single additional percentage point of red.
Is that true? What is the actual rule?
51 % of the shoe has to be white.
NBA is extremely strict about it. They'll fine him.
They'll fine him?
[Peter] $5,000 a game.
[sighs]
We're fucked.
What about more red?
A lot more red.
And what about if we just pay the fines?
Make a commercial out of it.
You know, it'll give us headlines.
"They're gonna fine Michael Jordan for being too colorful."
Yes.
More red.
That's right.
Subversive. Individualistic.
That's it.
Do you men think about basketball shoes often?
- I mostly think about basketball. - More marketing.
Basketball shoes are the...
central preoccupation of my life.
- We know. - Yeah.
I've had one persisting obsession
that I've harbored and nurtured
in hopes of making the perfect basketball shoe.
I've been trying to apply that to the Sole line.
I thought it should be called...
Air Sole, but...
[sighs] That's not it.
This is it.
What is it?
Air Jordan.
That's perfect.
Yeah.
What's wrong?
[sighs] I think David Falk said the same name.
[Rob] What?
- You know, fuck that guy. - We'll just tell him he said it.
- Yeah. - You said it.
- Okay. - [Rob] David Falk can...
- [Sonny] Your idea, Pete. - My... my idea.
Yeah. Air Jordan.
["Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon playing]
[Sonny] I like this place better when it's empty.
What does that say about me?
You know, Sonny, this doesn't work out, jobs are gone, checks are gone.
You know that, right?
Well, you'll get another job.
What I do you can't put on a résumé.
I wouldn't worry about it. You're very, very convincing.
Yeah. That's my job.
But I also know that sometimes people can be completely and totally wrong.
- [Sonny chuckles] - Okay?
You know, like-like somebody really sold the emperor on,
"We should bomb Pearl Harbor." Okay?
Are you likening yourself to Hirohito?
We can take this stuff, right? 'Cause the cashier's not here.
Well, I mean, in a way, I am.
You know, uh, you know that-that new, uh,
Springsteen song, "Born in the U.S.A."?
- Yeah, everybody knows that song, Rob. - Huh? Yeah.
So I, so I got that in the tape deck in the car.
Listen to it every morning, get all psyched up.
You know, I just... I really sing it.
I'm, you know, fired up about American freedom and...
Yeah, I can imagine.
Uh, but Th-this morning, I really focused on the words,
and it is not about freedom.
Like, not in any way.
It's about a guy who comes home from Vietnam, can't find a job,
and I'm just belting it out enthusiastically.
Just completely wrong idea.
And, you know, uh, we actually make, uh,
about 80% of our shoes in South Korea, Taiwan.
Um, and I know I should be ambivalent about that.
But-but I'm-I'm not.
Um... [smacks lips]
The judge in the divorce, uh, she just gave me Sundays.
Yeah, you get to be a-a dad for four hours every Sunday at the park.
That's the only time I see Avery.
Yeah, I know.
[softly] Yeah.
She's getting so she's not used to me.
Uh, but she's... so she's seven,
and, um, and I-I started
bringing her free Nikes every Sunday.
And, you know, it's-it's the thing that she looks forward to
about seeing me, you know.
So I-I bring her the shoes, so she loves me.
She got about 60 now.
- [chuckles] - And so, the shoes, um,
it makes me mean something to her.
And if Phil shuts this division down,
I'm ashamed to say I-I'd still buy the shoes,
even if it meant giving Phil money and we make them in Taiwan.
But I don't want to do that.
I just want Avery to love me and I want my job.
And I think that you may have been a little bit cavalier
about the risks and, you know, about taking us all with you.
[sighs]
I mean, if we're gonna make it, we got to take risks.
Spoken like a man without a seven-year-old on Sunday afternoon.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
I do see what you're doing with this.
It's just a shoe, Rob.
- It's... - No.
A shoe is always just a shoe until someone steps into it.
Hey.
Happy birthday.
Thank you.
[Peter] Hey, Sonny.
[exhales deeply]
We're ready.
[machine beeps, whirs]
["Computer Love" by Zapp playing]
[elevator dings]
[Peter] It's your birthday?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
And don't ask the next question.
Well, here it is.
This is the mock-up, but the shoe will look basically like this.
Wow.
Yeah. Yeah. I gotta say, it's beautiful.
It has the logic of water.
It's natural.
Like the shoe was always here.
Like it always existed.
Right.
Let's, uh, get the prototypes processed right away.
[Horst] So, on behalf of the whole family,
we wish to welcome you in Germany.
And also, thank you for making
the excruciatingly long journey to come and see us.
[Kathe] Yes, thank you.
[Horst] Michael, you're the next generation.
You don't want to be grouped in with Magic and Bird.
You belong in our stable of athletes.
[John] You won't see this style anywhere.
Those are all leather.
[Deloris] Are these the only options for the shoes?
Well, the NBA has rules, but we have options, yes.
And I know this is a family business, but who makes the final decision?
[John] Well, unfortunately, the family has suffered a tremendous loss.
Kathe is calling the shots.
Yes. That's right.
It is, uh, collaborative, though.
[Kathe and Horst speaking German]
A group decision.
[arguing in German]
- [car engine revving] - [rousing music playing]
Oh, you like it up here?
[sighs, grunts]
This is the only comfortable couch in the building, Phil.
Where's Rob? Where's Howard?
Uh, Rob's getting something to eat.
It's not stealing if the cashier isn't here.
- You guys been here all weekend? - Yeah.
[chuckles] It, uh... it was nice.
It was like the old Nike days.
You got a name for it?
For what?
The Michael Jordan line.
If we're making this offer you're talking about,
damn well better have a Michael Jordan line.
Yeah. Uh, well, there's a thought that, um...
Pete actually thinks we should call it...
Air Jordan.
Hmm.
- I don't know. - Seriously?
Uh... [sighs]
Maybe it'll grow on me.
Full budget?
Yeah. Full budget.
Well, how'd you come to that solution?
I went for a run.
Air Jordan. It's fucking fantastic.
[Sonny] So I'll meet the Jordans out front. I'll bring them up, and then,
Howard, you want me to pass them off to you so you can talk about...
Yeah, probably-probably best to let me talk about my role down the road,
and then I pass it off to Rob with his thing.
Great. Uh, and, Phil, I want you to come in
seven minutes late to the meeting.
Absolutely not. I'm the CEO of the company.
I have to be there the whole time.
[Sonny] No, it-it looks desperate.
And Phil has a million things going on, and the only way to show that
is if Phil comes in late to the meeting.
It shows Phil took time out of his very busy day for the Jordan family.
[Rob] Might seem like Michael Jordan
is not a priority to the CEO or the company.
[Phil] No. No.
Sonny... Sonny is-is actually right about this.
It makes Phil look more important.
And so if Phil's there, he's more important.
It's a more important meeting.
I do see Sonny's point, to be sure, but, uh...
We need to, uh, bind and print the shoe design.
- [Peter] How many? - [Sonny] One.
- [Peter] Really? - Yeah, just one.
Uh, the second you have multiples, it diminishes the value.
Oh.
- I like it. - Mm-hmm.
We have a video, right?
- Yeah. - These things go great with video.
- Yeah, yeah, we do. - [Sonny] Do we have to show it?
Well, uh, Sonny, marketing put good time into that.
[sighs] Okay, this team is good enough.
You are all capable.
And I believe in each one of you.
Remember to focus on your breath.
When you breathe in, know you're breathing in.
When you breathe out, simply know you're breathing out.
I'll see you in seven hours and 25 minutes.
[huffing]
[Howard] What the hell is he talking about?
[Sonny] Did he say breathe out while you're breathing out?
[Howard] Yeah, I think he did. I don't know.
["Good Feeling" by Violent Femmes playing]
[keyboard clacking]
What's up? [sighs]
[Rob] Why don't you go home and get some sleep?
There's nothing more you can do at this point.
How you feeling?
Same way as I did 72 hours ago. I think you're fucking crazy.
But now I'm 45 instead of 44.
Well, other than that.
Other than that, I think we're good.
[sighs]
You know, Sonny, sometimes, uh,
the most you can do is all you can do.
Okay?
And you're not in this alone.
Howard's key.
And I'm a marketing guy, you know? I got a few moves.
Uh, you got a few moves?
Yeah, got a sweet little hook shot off the glass.
I can't wait to see that.
["Tempted" by Squeeze playing]
- [woman] Hi. - Thank you.
- [James chuckles] - You made it.
- [James] Long time no see. - Good to see you.
You still got that phone in the car?
Oh, I had to return that whole operation.
- [James] Man. - [Sonny chuckles]
Hello, Mrs. Jordan.
- Thank you so much for coming. - [James chuckles]
Hi, Michael. Please come with me.
Right this way.
[riveting music playing]
[quietly] He doesn't wanna be here, but he will listen.
He promised me that.
You have our attention.
[Sonny] Thanks for making it happen.
So we'll just head up these stairs here.
[riveting music continues]
Welcome.
- [Rob] Hello. Yeah. Hi. - This is a big day
and, uh, hopefully the start of something very big.
- Where's, uh, where's-where's H? - I don't know.
- Okay. Really? - I don't know.
Um, so, uh, how was the flight out? Good?
Fine. We had Arby's at the airport.
Oh, is that right? And, uh, and, Michael,
did you, did you not fly them out yourself?
[Sonny chuckles lightly]
He jumped so high, um...
So we got a sign and some snacks over here.
- Oh, here's Howard. Yeah. - Hey there.
This is, this is Howard White. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan.
Mrs. Jordan, so good to see you.
It's a pleasure. It's a pl...
Mr. Jordan, how are you?
Only other brother in the room, and you're late.
- [Howard chuckles] - Oh, James...
Wasn't my fault. I'm gonna tell you what happened.
Well, this is my son Michael.
Hi. What's up, champion? Good to see you.
Glad you came out.
Listen, two guys from legal told me the best burgers in Portland
- is close by, right? - [James] Mm-hmm.
But a Portland close by is longer than you think. [laughs]
Do you like it here?
I-I like it.
And we have everything. You know, you got the mountain.
You know what they call it? Mount Hood.
- [James laughs] - But it's really nice.
It ain't really the hood. And it rain a lot.
You got to have a umbrella.
One time, it was raining so bad,
and I'm in my car searching for a umbrella.
I had my suit on, I was looking good, and it was pouring down rain.
White folks out there running in the rain.
- [James] Running? - And they know it's raining.
I said, "What is wrong with these people?"
I'm sure there are worse things, Mr. White.
[Howard] You know what? You're right.
You're right, it could, and I handle those things, too.
I try to, like, look out for our young men, you know.
Make sure they make the right choices.
Yeah. Well, that's good. Yeah.
You know, but the young boy's here to have fun, too.
You're right, you're right. And we gonna have some fun.
Go on, sit down. I know you're tired.
I know you been standing and you been going through that airport.
- Reverend. - Falk, how you doing?
- How you doing? - Not since D.C...
You still calling me Reverend. I love that.
My mama said I was gonna be a preacher, but...
I-I didn't know what I was gonna do, but...
- [David] Here you are. Here you are. - Here we are.
- We good? - Yeah, yeah.
All right. Take a look.
[captivating music playing]
[Michael] Bulls colors.
[Sonny] That's right.
[Rob] Yes, sir. Yeah.
Here, let's... Let's get this out of here.
What do you think about that?
[Sonny] They're called Air Jordan.
I-I know you like your shoes low to the ground.
- Yeah. - W-We'll tailor them however you like.
The-the shoe will be designed specifically for you.
We'll build it off a mold of your foot.
We skived the cushioning down so...
Thank you, Pete.
So, what are your thoughts?
- That shoe is red and black. - [Rob] Yes, sir.
I thought the NBA had a rule on color.
Yeah, they do.
Um, they want it all white,
and with all due respect to them, they can go to hell.
We're gonna pay the fines, uh, for Michael every game.
- [door opens] - [Phil clears throat]
Excuse me. Hi.
- [Sonny] Hey. - Sorry I'm late.
[stammers]
Uh, Phil, I was just explaining to Michael
that we're going to, uh...
I-I was... I just was explaining for a second
that-that... that I'm the CEO of this company
and it's worth nearly a billion dollars now.
And I'm so extremely busy
it's almost impossible to imagine.
But this meeting was so important, I told my secretary
I wasn't going to miss this no matter what.
That's how important this is. Go ahead, Sonny.
Well, I was just telling Michael that we were gonna pay
any fines incurred by the shoe's design.
Oh.
[Sonny] Be one per game, as you know.
- Great. - [Sonny] Yeah.
[Phil] We have a video?
[Rob] Uh, yes, yes, we do.
Yes, we do. But I-I thought that the-the Jordans might be
interested in how we see the future here at Nike
and how we would market Michael as a person
and not just another guy wearing someone's shoes.
And there are no limits here at Nike.
You can do just about anything.
- [chuckles] - How'd that get in there?
[Howard] We believe Michael can represent something
more than just a basketball player.
Hell, you can find them anywhere.
You're looking at one busted-up one right here. [chuckles]
And Rob wants to really market our players,
and this has never been really done before.
That's one of the things we've-we've really pioneered.
Do you have a video?
Shall we? Good. Great.
Uh, let's watch a movie here.
So, um, let me kill these. Yeah.
Um, well, I'll let it speak for itself.
I just... I'll hit go here
and just get it started.
["I Can Dream About You" by Dan Hartman playing on video]
I'm sorry. Turn it off.
- Rob, turn it off. Just please. - [Rob] Sonny...
Sonny, what the fuck are you doing?
Forget about the shoes. Forget about the money.
You're gonna make enough money. It's not gonna matter.
Money can buy you almost anything.
It can't buy you immortality. That you have to earn.
[Sonny sighs]
I'm gonna look you in the eyes, and I'm gonna tell you the future.
You were cut from your high school basketball team.
You willed your way to the NBA.
You're gonna win championships.
It's an American story,
and that's why Americans are gonna love it.
People are gonna build you up.
God, are they going to.
Because when you're great and new, we love you.
Man, we'll build you into something that doesn't even exist.
You're gonna change the fucking world.
But you know what?
Once they've built you as high as they possibly can,
they're gonna tear you back down.
It's the most predictable pattern.
We build you into something that doesn't exist,
and that means you have to try to be that thing.
All day, every day.
That's how it works.
And we do it again and again and again.
I'm gonna tell you the truth.
You're going to be attacked,
betrayed, exposed and humiliated.
And you'll survive that.
A lot of people can climb that mountain.
It's the way down that breaks them.
Because that's the moment when you are truly alone.
And what will you do then?
Can you summon the will to fight on through all the pain
and rise again?
"Who are you, Michael?"
That will be the defining question of your life.
And I think you already know the answer.
And that's why we're all here.
A shoe is just a shoe
until somebody steps into it.
Then it has meaning.
The rest of us just want a chance to touch that greatness.
We need you in these shoes,
not so you have meaning in your life,
but so that we have meaning in ours.
Everyone at this table will be forgotten
as soon as our time here is up.
Except for you.
You're gonna be remembered forever,
because some things are eternal.
You're Michael Jordan,
and your story is gonna make us want to fly.
[Phil] I know... [clears throat]
Mr. Falk has already shared this with you,
but I wanted to give it to you in person. Um...
Because it's the most significant offer
Nike Basketball has ever made to any athlete.
We're expecting the others to bid in a similar range.
Thank you, David.
Nonetheless, Nike has long been in search of its basketball star.
We believe you are that star.
Well, thank you, Mr. Vaccaro, Mr. Knight.
Mr. Strasser, Mr. White, thank you.
- Bye, Mr. White. - Mrs. Jordan.
Thank you.
Well, you guys could come this way.
[Phil] Thank you so much.
[Howard] Thank you.
Mr. Jordan.
- Thank you, Michael. - Call me anytime.
We're gonna take a hard look at everyone's numbers,
and, uh, we'll let you know when we let you know.
Great speech.
Emotional.
Great. Thanks, David.
- Where the hell'd that come from? - I don't know.
[Phil] Sonny made an audible.
Way to go, Sonny.
What the fuck is that thing w-with the fines, by the way?
It doesn't matter. I think we have him.
And we just have to wait and see.
It's a hell of a speech.
It was good. It was good.
[Peter] "Everyone at this table will be forgotten."
I think I'm gonna be remembered.
I'm not... I think I've done something impressive.
You know?
I mean, it was a good speech.
We got him.
["Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper playing]
[foghorn blows]
[pager beeping]
[phone line ringing]
Hey, it's Sonny.
Yeah, no. Yeah, he... they...
Yeah, I'll be there. Um, look, uh, nothing from the Jordans?
Okay. Uh, well, you know, soon as and, uh...
You have the home number?
Okay.
Bye.
["Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper continues playing]
[crickets chirping]
[phone ringing]
- Hello? - [Howard] Sonny.
Hey, Howard. Wh-What's going on?
Hey, listen, man, I... I just heard.
Adidas, they matched the offer.
The 250?
Yeah, the 250 and a car.
You're kidding me.
No, man. No.
I talked to James... Michael daddy... today.
That's what he told me.
And, uh, I don't think he accepted it yet, though,
so we might still have time.
That's why I wanted to give you the heads-up.
Maybe make some moves, uh, spend the...
No, I mean...
[sighs]
This was the move. This...
That was it.
[sighs]
Well, we'll still hear from Falk. Maybe you can talk to Falk.
Yeah, I'm sure he can't wait.
Sonny...
Sorry, man.
Hey, Howard, uh...
Thanks a lot, man. I just...
Thank you for everything you did.
No problem, Sonny. I'm here for you, man.
I appreciate that you, that you believed in me, man.
[sighs] See you, man.
Okay.
[sighs]
[melancholy music playing]
[imperceptible]
[muffled chattering]
[phone ringing]
Hello, Falk.
[Deloris] Mr. Vaccaro.
Mrs. Jordan.
I have some news for you.
Just do it.
Uh, you didn't expect me to call?
Uh, well, typically, I would... I'd hear from Mr. Falk.
Uh, but this is a pleasant surprise, I promise.
Well, I told Mr. Falk I would handle it from here.
I have a lot of respect for that. Thank you.
Michael will accept the 250,000 salary guaranteed,
and the shoe will be named for Michael and our family.
- What-what? - Yes.
- Uh, really? - [chuckles]
Mr. Vaccaro, don't sound so surprised.
No, this is... No, great decision.
Uh, you're not gonna regret it,
and I-I can give you my personal guarantee...
I'm not finished.
No. Yeah. Ex-Excuse me. Sorry, go ahead.
Now, we are willing to accept the deal and commit right away
but with one minor provision.
Name it.
It's nothing, really.
It's so obvious that its omission, I assume,
from the term sheet was a clerical error.
I'm sure it was.
Michael will get a percentage of the revenue
of the sale of each shoe that's sold.
I'm sorry?
Not all Nike shoes, just the ones with his name on them.
Oh, well, uh, Mrs. Jordan,
so that's not how the business works at all.
I mean, I-I understand the assumption, but, um, what...
The-the athletes get a licensing fee...
In this case, obviously, a groundbreaking fee...
But they don't actually participate in the gross sales of the shoe.
Because Nike's a public company, so that... it... they can't...
That would disrupt the industry, and they wouldn't... they, um...
Th-There's a-a whole other set of economics around this.
It's very complicated.
Yeah. I'm sure it's quite complicated.
This way, it's cleaner 'cause you know and the family knows
exactly what's going to come in every year...
Well, that's not his concern.
- Um, okay. Uh-huh. - All right?
His concern is that, in order for the shoe to be meaningful,
in order for young people, many not of real means,
to wanna go out and spend the money
that they worked all week, two weeks at the mall for,
then Michael has to create the meaning in that shoe.
His name is on that shoe.
Yeah, so actually we think that's a benefit to him
because his likeness gets marketed by Nike.
No. His likeness, his name
is not in any way meaningful to Nike
unless he scores 40 points a night, every night,
beats Hakeem as Rookie of the Year,
makes All-Star and All-NBA team.
[sighs] Okay, that would be exceptional.
And-and, um, you know, it is the NBA,
so these are the best of the best.
Well, he has to be better.
He will win championships, multiple championships,
final MVPs. I know my son.
All-Star selection, All-Star MVP,
Defensive Player of the Year...
But, ma'am, with respect,
Sidney Moncrief is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Adrian Dantley won the scoring title.
They're not...
You don't get to be Magic and Michael Cooper.
It's basketball.
But if he does it, he deserves to be compensated.
You eat, we eat. That's all he's asking.
That's a fair point,
but that's just not how the business works.
I mean. They... They invest the capital and get the reward
and that's how it goes.
Well, maybe that needs to change.
Because if he does what I think he's gonna do,
what you also think he's gonna do,
and what Michael knows he's gonna do,
then it won't be the NBA promoting my son.
I promise you. It'll be the other way around.
And in that case, he deserves a piece.
Mrs. Jordan, I... I understand what you're saying. I...
I actually agree with you.
But that's just not how it goes in this life.
[sighs] People like your son,
people who work for a living,
they don't let us own anything.
We take the best we can get.
And this is a great deal.
This is the biggest deal
this company has ever offered anyone, by far.
Michael could blow out his knee next week.
Mr. Vaccaro, I agree that the business is unfair.
It's unfair to my son.
It's unfair to people like you.
But every once in a while,
someone comes along that's so extraordinary
that it forces those reluctant to part with some of that wealth to do so,
not out of charity,
but out of greed,
because they are so very special.
And even more rare, that person demands to be treated according to their worth
because they understand what they are worth.
Or their mother does.
You purport to know a good deal about my son.
You tell me.
Is it me who believes in Michael, his name,
or am I just a healthy reflection of who he is
and what he believes about himself?
Hmm?
Isn't that why you came to my home?
Yes, it is.
Okay.
Now I'm going to put it to you plain once again.
Michael will get $250,000
and a Mercedes-Benz that will be forgotten in a year,
but he gets a piece of the revenue of the shoe
and all future Air Jordan shoes.
A shoe is just a shoe
until my son steps into it.
[mellow music playing]
[sighing]
What... What happened?
We didn't get him.
What are you t... I heard you were down there closing
- with the mother. - Adidas matched.
- He needs more. - More money?
Oh, I'm sorry, Phil.
Uh, he wants a piece of the shoe,
the gross revenue, his...
Everything with his name on it.
[scoffs]
- I know, I'm sorry. - Jesus Christ.
I'm really sorry.
[sighs]
Fuck it. We should do it.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Sonny.
I thought you believed in this guy.
Well, of course, I do.
There's not a lot of point in having a basketball guru
if you don't listen to what he has to say.
The board's never gonna do that.
This has never happened before.
[stammers] You'd be putting yourself in a real bad spot.
Th-They could call for your removal.
If this guy is who you think he's gonna be,
he'll be the best thing that ever happened to this company
and he'll be worth every penny.
Let me worry about the fucking board.
It's a big risk.
You're remembered for the rules you break.
Close the fucking deal.
Hey, Sonny.
That's how I built this company.
I get it, Phil.
Go get him. [clears throat]
[chuckles]
[phone ringing]
Hello?
- [Sonny] Mrs. Jordan. - Yes.
I've spoken to our CEO.
And?
The Nike Corporation is going to accept your terms
and offer Michael Jordan a direct revenue share
from the sale of every single shoe with his name on it.
- [sighs] - ...anywhere they are sold in the world.
[sighs in relief]
Yes.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Uh, is-is Michael there? Could I speak with him?
Yes, it's time.
[sighs]
[Michael] Hello?
Hey, Michael. Welcome to Nike.
[imperceptible]
[phone ringing]
[Rob] Hello?
[Sonny] I need to see you in the bullpen.
- Hey, Sonny, you know, uh... - It's important, Rob.
- [phones ringing] - [busy chatter]
Hey, everybody...
Uh...
We just signed Michael Jordan!
- [all cheering] - Yes!
- [woman] Here's the Ewing file. - At the buzzer, Sonny.
- [Sonny chuckles] - At the buzzer.
Yeah, well, what can I tell you? I love the suspense.
Percentage of sales?
I'm not gonna lie to you, David.
I'm told you have lawyers on six-figure retainers.
No, they're on a cap.
I don't know if I should tell you this, but...
[exhales] Sonny, Adidas was never gonna match the percentage.
No one was.
I thought you were the kind of guy that would like to know
when someone makes a fucking play on you, you know?
[chuckles] Well, that's very nice of you, David,
but I actually think this is one of those deals
that's gonna work out for everybody.
Oh, yeah?
Uh, what's Adidas doing?
They're pivoting.
- Yeah? To who? - Mel Turpin.
- Interesting. - He's not a client.
How's Phil? How's he feeling?
- Great. - It's a big step.
Big steps are how we made this place.
You know, you better get me on speed dial
- for the next five years. [chuckles] - Oh, please.
Howard's gonna take over with Mike.
You'll be gone in a year.
No more rabbits to chase.
Well, that's the thing about rabbits, you know?
You never know 'cause they just make more rabbits.
[laughs] Yeah, they do.
Well, I'd say it's been a pleasure doing business with you, David,
- but it never really is. - Nor should it be.
I don't have friends.
I have clients, okay?
That's why I'm a great fucking agent.
I'm gonna sell my business one day,
and I'm gonna be a very rich man.
I will eat alone, but I'll be rich and so will my clients.
Then I'll worry about friends.
Well, you call me the next time you have a once-in-a-generation talent.
I'm thinking of signing Ewing.
- What do you think? - Pat?
He immigrated from Jamaica to a little house
off Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
when he was 13 years old.
He'd never played basketball.
The kid played soccer.
And Mike Jarvis spotted him
in the hallways at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
He recruited him.
That team won three state titles.
I think he's the exact type of player who should be wearing Nikes,
and I think you can sign whoever you want
after the deal we just made.
You're welcome.
You should be thanking me.
For... For what?
For coming up with the name of the shoe.
- Air Jordan? - Yeah.
Nah, that was Pete. Bye.
- No, I came up with... - [hangs up]
I... Sonny? Son... Fucking...
[yells] Did I or did I not say "Air Jordan"?
[door opens]
We're closed.
Congratulations.
You okay?
[exhales] Just concentrating on my breath.
Why?
Just... [sighs]
Doing a forgiveness meditation for myself.
Hmm.
What are you forgiving yourself for?
I think it's possible we may have set a very dangerous precedent.
Now every athlete's gonna want a percentage.
Next thing, they all want equity and...
Fuck it.
Too many cows.
[chuckles softly]
If we ruin the business, at least we had fun doing it.
It felt like the old Nike days for a little while.
Yeah.
You know, I thought it was pronounced "Nicky"
first time I saw the word.
I had a really strong instinct
we should call the company Dimension Six.
You think it would've been successful with that name?
No.
Ah, you name it after the goddess of victory,
it's probably more appealing to competitive athletes.
We just did that 'cause the consultants told us
people like four-letter words.
I like four-letter words.
Hey, what about the swoosh?
Supposed to be a sound.
Sound of what?
I don't know.
I paid Carolyn Davidson $35 for that design in 1971.
I heard you didn't like it.
No. I said it would grow on me.
Well, maybe it will.
[sighs]
Hey, Phil.
Nobody else would've hired me.
And that's the truth.
I appreciate it.
You're a brilliant guy, Sonny.
You have courage.
That's what you do here.
Thanks, Phil.
I think it'll be fine.
What's the most we ever sold on a shoe, $3 million?
He's one guy.
How much can it be?
[mellow electronic music playing]
[neon sign buzzing softly]
Hey, how's it going?
[Sonny] Good, how are you doing?
[sighs] Pretty good.
I'll buy that, too.
[sighs] Man, I can't believe we didn't get him.
- Oh, you knew he was gonna be good? - I knew.
We all knew.
Hmm. We should fire Stu.
- Have a good one, man. - You, too.
[sighs] Man.
Everybody knew.
["Axel F" playing]
[exhales]
[music stops]
No.
No, fucking horrible.
[panting]
No way.
Just fucking awful.
Just terrible.
Nope.
Not a chance.
["Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen playing]
["Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen continues playing]
["Be Like Mike" by Be Chi playing]
My mom, without her...
She's a rock. She's unbelievable.
She... Right now, she takes over two jobs.
She's an unbelievable woman.
She constantly keeps me focused on the good things about life.
You know, how people perceive you, how you respect them,
you know, what's good for the kids.
That all came from my parents. You know, it came from my mom.
And she's still, at this stage... I'm 46 years old...
She's still parenting me today,
and that's the good thing about that lady.
- I love her to death. - [applause]
I love her to death.
[song ends]
[cheerful music playing]