The partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan is one of the most iconic sponsorship deals in history. In 1984, Nike signed a rookie Michael Jordan to a $500,000-per-year deal, betting big on his potential. The result? The creation of the Air Jordan brand, which catapulted Nike from a struggling basketball brand to an industry leader. The Air Jordan I, released in 1985, sparked immediate success, generating $70 million in sales in just two months. Today, the Air Jordan line brings in over $5 billion annually, showing the immense power a well-executed sponsorship can have on a company’s growth.